Allegheny Blackberry is a native multi-stemmed shrub in the rose (Rosaceae) family native to Eastern Canada and the USA. It is found in the mountains of NC. The red-purple stems start out erect but arch with age and are lined with prickles. The native habitat is forests, woodlands and grassy balds. Allegheny blackberry blooms in late spring or early summer and produces fruit in the summer. It is a woody shrub with canes that are initially erect but often bend downward to re-root in the ground. These canes actively grow and form leaves during the first year, and develop fruits in the form of drupes during the second year, after which they die down. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant often forms loose colonies vegetatively. It grows easily and quickly from transplants or cuttings of young growth planted in a site with full sun to light shade and rich fertile soil. It will tolerate clay loam or rocky soil as well. Allegheny blackberry is distinguished from other native blackberries by the gland-tipped hairs covering the branches. Allegheny blackberry is a wildlife-friendly plant providing food for pollinators birds and a variety of mammals. It also provides cover year round. Native bees nest in the dead, hollow stems, so gardeners are encouraged to cut back dead stems to 12 to 24 inches and allow them to remain standing until they disintegrate on their own. Read more about best practices for stem-nesting bees in this NC Extension publication The white flowers are followed by thimble-shaped blackberries that look like raspberries. Information on blackberry cultivation for home gardeners is available in the NC State Extension publication Blackberries for the Home Garden . Use in the edible or pollinator garden or naturalized area. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems, but can become aggressive and difficult to eliminate. Because it is so successful and can spread easily, use caution when selecting a planting site. Herbicides may be required to completely eliminate the plant. More information on Rubus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Palmate or pinnately compound red, orange or purple fall color. Leaves are usually trifoliate or palmately compound with long petioles. The leaflets are up to 4" long and 3" across; they are up to twice as long as wide. A typical leaflet is usually ovate with coarse, doubly serrate margins; it may have a few scattered white hairs on the upper surface, while the lower surface is light green and pubescent.
Fall color
Orange; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Dome
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
5 petaled white flowers form in loose terminal clusters at the end of stems from May to June. The canes develop racemes with about 12 white flowers. There is little or no floral fragrance.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Aggregate; Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Thimble shaped blackberries look like raspberries. Fruit displays in July. Drupes develop later in the summer; they are about ¾" long and 1/3" across, depending on moisture levels. The drupes are initially white or green, then red, and finally black. They are seedy and have a sweet flavor when fully ripened.
Bark color
Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Purple-red and lined with prickles
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Green where there is new growth at the tips, otherwise they are brown or reddish brown with stout prickles that are straight or somewhat curved.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada and U.S.A.
Distribution
AL, AR, CA, CT, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: NB, NS, ON, PE, QC
Wildlife value
The nectar and pollen of the spring flowers attract many kinds of insects, especially long-tongued and short-tongued bees. Butterflies are also attracted to the blooms. The plant provides excellent cover year-round and the fruits are relished by songbirds, small mammals, foxes, raccoons and black bears. During the winter, birds and small mammals eat the seeds left from rotten fruit. White-tailed deer and rabbits browse the leaves, although the plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer. Dead stems are used by stem-nesting bees.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds; Specialized Bees
Fruits are edible. The fruit is seedy and has a sweet flavor when fully ripened. Eaten fresh or preserved or frozen. Often made into pies, syrups, jams, or other desserts.