Rubus ursinus

Common Names

California Blackberry, Pacific Blackberry, Trailing Blackberry, California Dewberry, Dewberry, Pacific Dewberry, Douglas Berry

Summary

Rubus ursinus, commonly called California blackberry or trailing blackberry, is a native western North American plant occurring from British Columbia to northern California and east to central Idaho. It grows as a wide, mounding shrub or creeping vine with prickly canes that root where they touch soil, forming large clonal colonies. Leaves are typically three leaflets; flowers are white and appear in clusters near branch tips; fruits mature from red to shiny black, are sweet and aromatic, and up to about 2 cm long. The plant is dioecious, with separate male and female plants, and fruits are produced by female plants.

Cultivation and uses: tolerates full sun to partial shade and a range of soils, with moist to dry conditions; hardy to USDA Zone 3–9; spreads vigorously via rooting canes and vegetative spread; can be trained as a hedge or barrier plant along fences or trellises; propagation by divisions, tip layering, or digging up suckers; seed propagation possible but tricky; berries edible and valued by wildlife; used in habitat gardens and erosion-control and rehabilitation on disturbed sites; has played a role in breeding programs for cultivars such as loganberry and boysenberry.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-5 feet

Spread

4-8 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Soil pH

No specific ideal soil pH; tolerates a wide range, 5.0-8.0.

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green, with lighter green undersides.

Fall Foliage Color

Green, Red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Layering, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds