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Photo Credit: John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org -
Photo Credit: Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
Species include: Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus praecox), and cutleaf evergreen blackberry (Rubus laciniatus)
Blackberry cobbler, blackberry pie, blackberry jam, blackberry smoothies, blackberry brandy, just plain blackberries! Who doesn’t love them? While the Pacific blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is native to our region, many invasive blackberry species are widespread and are some of the most disruptive weeds in Oregon.
For a more detailed description, download the Blackberry Best Management Practices factsheet
Description:
| Life Cycle: | Perennial (life cycle lasts more than one year) |
| Early Detection and Rapid Response species: | No |
| Height: | Up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) |
| Leaf Description: | Leaves are alternately arranged on the stem. Each leaf is compoundCompound A leaf consisting of several distinct leaflets joined to a single stem. and made up of 3 to 5 leaflets with serratedSerrated Having a jagged edge. edges. Each leaflet is dark green with a white underside. |
| Fruit & Flower Description: | Each flower is white to pink and has five petals. Small, edible berries ripen into dark purple to black berries in the summer months. |
| Bloom Time: | April to August |
How it spreads:
- It is a prolific seed producer. Birds and animals disperse berries across long distances. They can also be moved by water during floods.
- Sometimes root fragments are moved in fill dirt and can resprout at new locations.
Habitat:
- Invasive blackberry species can be found in a range of habitats from roadsides and vacant lots to pastures, stream corridors, and along the edges of mixed and deciduousDeciduous Trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally. forest.
- It thrives in many soil types but grows particularly well in wet soils.
- It can tolerate some shade, but it is more common in sunny, open areas.
Impact:
- Invasive blackberry grow in dense thickets, crowding out native vegetation wherever it gets established.
- It’s shallow root systems do not hold the soil. This results in increased erosion during flood events which reduces water quality.
- While dense thickets can be useful to some wildlife species, they restrict the movement of many larger animals.
- It is highly flammable and provides fuels for wildfire.
What you can do about it:
- Cultural: Prevention is the best control. Don’t let it get established.
- If you are planning on clearing a landscape that doesn’t have blackberry, don’t delay in planting or seeding to reduce the chances that it becomes established.
- Manual: To manually remove blackberry, cut back or mow the patch as much as possible before digging out the root ball. Once removed, continue to monitor the area for re-growth.
- Make sure to wear thick, leather gloves and protective clothing to avoid, or at least minimize, injury from its thorns.
- Be aware of bird nesting season whenever manually removing blackberry.
| Start date | End date | Season |
|---|---|---|
| August 1 | January 31 | Non-nesting season |
| February 1 | April 14 | Early nesting season |
| April 15 | July 31 | Nesting season |
Look-alikes:
Pacific blackberry (Rubus ursinus), also known as trailing blackberry, is the only blackberry native to Oregon. Its small, sweet berries have fewer seeds and ripen earlier than invasive blackberry. It’s leaves also grow in groups of three.
Thimbleberry (Rubus nutkanus) is another native berry. Unlike Himalayan blackberry, thimbleberry’s fruits are bright red and generally do not pack or ship well, so you won’t find them in stores. This makes them an ideal plant to grow on your property.
Noxious Weed Listing:
| State of Oregon: | Class B |
| State of Washington: | Class C |
More Resources:
- Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook: Blackberry vines
- University of California, Weed Research & Information Center: Himalaya blackberry
- Oregon State University Extension: Forestry blackberry management