Rubus ursinus
California blackberry
A woody deciduous shrub of long arching canes which will root and form a prickly thicket, if left untrained. The leaves are green and the flowers white and fragrant. The plant has separate male and female plants so will both both sexes will be needed for good fruiting. Other members of the family nearby may also pollinate it successfully. The fruit is small but sweet and forms decorative clusters at various stages of ripening - red through to black. Good pollen source for pollinating insects
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Red Green | Black Red | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming, Suckering, Spreading branched
- Genus
Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits
- Name status
Correct
How to grow
Cultivation
Train to wires on the sheltered side of a fence or wall, in any fertile soil in sun or partial shade
Propagation
Propagate by division or by layering shoot tips in spring or late summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Edible fruit
Pruning
Once well established, cut fruited canes down to the ground in late autumn and tie in the new canes which have grown over the summer.
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)
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