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Rubus ursinus Cham. & Schlecht.

California blackberry, California dewberry, Western blackberry

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

USDA Symbol: RUUR

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A mounding shrub or vine with bristly, running stems; large, trifoliate leaves; and clusters of white flowers near the tips of lateral shoots. The flowers differ from those of other blackberries because of their widely spaced, narrow petals. Flowers are followed by edible, black berries. Ranges from 2-5 ft. high and more than 6 ft. wide.

The Trailing Blackberry is a member of the family Rosaceae which includes about 2000 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs worldwide; approximately 77 native and 9 naturalized tree species and many species of shrubs and herbs in North America; including service-berries (Amelanchier), hawthorns (Crataegus), apples (Malus), plums and cherries (Prunus), and mountain-ashes (Sorbus).

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Trifoliate
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Black
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: CA , ID , MT , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: B.C. & ID to Sanders Co., MT, s. to Baja through cismontane CA
Native Habitat: Variable; below 3000 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Fast and easy to grow. Good for revegetation. Too rank for most residential sites.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Very high for songbirds, game birds, and large and small mammals.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees
Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Divisions, tip layering, and digging up suckers are the most common methods of propagation. Increase by seed is tricky but possible.
Seed Collection: Rubus fruits should be collected as soon as ripe to prevent losses to birds. The seeds can be extracted by macerating in water.
Seed Treatment: The hard, impermeable seed coat needs scarification. Both H2SO4 and sodium hypochlorite have been used. Scarification is sometimes followed by a complex combination of warm and cold stratification.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rubus ursinus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rubus ursinus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rubus ursinus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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