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Grows 2 meters high and 2.5 to 9 meters wide
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Introduced from Europe for fruit production
Cutleaf blackberry
(Rubus laciniatus)
Quick Identification
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Edible blackberry fruit
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Leaves composed of 4-5 toothed leaflets
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Thorny red stalks
Impact
Cutleaf blackberry forms thickets in pastures and near waterbodies that restrict access to forage and water. Its shallow root system allows for erosion on banks and slopes.
Flower
Flowers are white to dark pink with 5, 2-2.5 cm petals appear June to July.
Leaves & Stems
Leaves are dark green with five, deeply divided and toothed lobes. The underside of the leaves are hairy. Canes are biennial and green to red in colour with curved thorns. Plants form brambles or thickets as the arched canes spill away from the root crown.
Reproduction & Dispersal
Spreads by rhizomes from roots and canes and by seed. Seeds are primarily distributed by animals.
Seeds
The blackberry fruit is edible and contains dormant seeds which have a hard coat. This allows them to remain banked in the soil.
Roots
A woody root ball.
Preferred Habitat
Prefers low elevation habitat in hardwood and coniferous or riparian ecosystems.
Interesting Facts
These berries make a delicious snack when they ripen in mid to late summer.
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