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Blackberry

Rubus pascuus (ROO-bus PAS-kyoo-us)

Family: Rosaceae Non-native Shrub

Chesapeake blackberry is a deciduous perennial shrub in the Roseaceae family. The species is pollinated by Insects and does well in sandy, loamy and clay soils. It prefers well-drained, moist soil and can grow in semi-shade or full sun. The fruit can be consumed raw or cooked and some find it rich and juicy in flavor. The plant can be propagated by seed or cuttings, or by division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn. This particular plant is not very common and its taxonomy is not clear. It grows only in the United States, primarily in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas, but with scattered populations farther east in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Rubus pascuus has short, compact pale pink to white flowers that usually barely surpass the leaves and it tends to hold itself relatively erect. Information on blackberry cultivation for home gardeners is available in the NC State Extension publication Blackberries for the Home Garden . Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. More information on Rubus .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Often confused with Rubus cuneifolius
Fills a similar niche Rubus allegheniensis Rubus idaeus subsp. idaeus Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
Light
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); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf feel
Prickly
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves deciduous to semi-evergreen with three to five leaflets and surfaces with hooked prickles.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small flowers white to pale pink. Blooms from April to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Aggregate; Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South Africa
Distribution
Eastern United States
Wildlife value
This plant provides nectar for pollinators.
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Aggregate; Drupe

Edibility

Reportedly rich and juicy.

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#deciduous #edible fruits #shrub #flowering shrub #nectar plant late spring #nectar plant early summer #nectar plant mid-spring #pollinator plant #perennial #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Rednecked Cane Borer; Raspberry Cane Borer
Disease problems
Fusarium Wilt of Blackberry
Propagation
Division; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.