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Common Name: Blackberry
Scientific Name: Rubus argutus
Family: Rosaceae
Serendipity Ranch
Columbus, North Carolina
April 22, 2002
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One of the several white-flowered, thorny species of Rubus found in our area, with canes from 1 - 6 feet or more tall, these perennials often propagate by rhizomes, or runners, to form dense bramble thickets. The flowers are about 1 inch across; the juicy sweet black fruits are excellent when fully ripe. Primarily a southeastern species that is often a wed in meadows, pastures, old fields, and woodland borders throughout North Carolina. April - May [Justice, William S. and Bell, C. Ritchie, Wild Flowers of North Carolina. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1968]
Flourishing at all elevations, the many species of blackberry are important as wildlife food and ground cover in the Smokies. Blackberries are among the first plants to become established after forest fires, "blow-downs", or other disturbances. The woodsy arching canes reach a height of 4 to 8 feet the first year, bear flowers and fruit the second year, and then die, remaining upright for another year or so. After early summer flowering, fruits ripen form early July through August, depending upon the elevation. Canes of Rubus canadensis, a species common at higher elevations, have few spines or thorns. [Campbell, Carlos C., Hutson, William F., Sharp, Aaron J., Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers, Fourth Edition. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 1977]
Blackberries, raspberries, and dewberries all belong to a large group of plants commonly known as brambles and classified under the genus name Rubus. All these plants have delectable fruits and come from closely related species of the rose family. Their leaves are usually compound and their thorny branches, called canes, often arch toward the ground. Brambles are divided yet further, and the blackberries fall into a subgenus called Eubatus. Two principal species of blackberries are normally found along the Parkway. Both have arching, thorny canes; compound leaves divided into three or five ovate, toothed leaflets; and white, five-petaled flowers that give way to black, juicy fruit. The common blackberry (Rubus argutus) is normally found at lower altitudes, blooms in April and May, and has thorns that are slightly curved. The high-bush blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) is normally found at higher altitudes, blooms in May and June, and has straight thorns. Many birds and animals, as well as people, enjoy the succulent berries, and the thick bramble patches furnish shelter for wildlife and protection for seedlings of trees and other shrubs. Blackberries grow in thickets and on woodland borders along the length of the Parkway. April - June [Alderman, J. Anthony, Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1997]
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Alphabetical Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z
Family Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z
Genus Listings -- A B C D, E F G H I, J, K L M N, O P Q, R S T U, V W X, Y, Z