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Blackberry
- Blackberry leaf and fruit
-
- Blackberry infestation
General information
A native of Europe, blackberry (Rubus anglocandicans, Rubus fruticosus agg.) is a woody perennial shrub that grows in thickets, consists of arched, reddish purple stems up to 7 m long, with numerous hooked thorns.
Blackberry is a Class 3 declared plant under Queensland legislation and a Weed of National Significance (WONS).
| Scientific name |
Rubus anglocandicans, Rubus fruticosus agg. |
| Impacts |
- invades native bushland, disturbed areas, banks of watercourses and roadsides
- forms a dense canopy few plants can successfully compete with
- provides ideal habitat for rabbits and foxes, providing food and shelter
- dead material causes fire hazards
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| Description |
- leaves consist of 3-5 separate leaflets, are dark green on the upper side, whitish underneath
- has white or pink flowers, 2-3 cm in diameter and formed in clusters at the ends of the branches
- fruit changes colour from green to red to black as it ripens, 1-3 cm in diameter
- has succulent and edible fruit, consisting of numerous fleshy segments, each containing one seed
- seeds light to dark brown, oval, 2-3 mm long
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| Habitat and distribution |
- a pest in all states except the Northern Territory
- occurs in Stanthorpe, Warwick, Killarney and Toowoomba areas
- spreads by water along creeks, gullies and rivers
- birds and animals, such as foxes, main seed dispersal method
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| Control |
- costly to control
- chemical treatment for established plants is most effective
- a combined approach of different control methods including chemical, biological, mechanical, herbicide and integrated with land management practices is most effective
- see the blackberry fact sheet for further information
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| Declaration details |
- a declared Class 3 species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
- supply or sale prohibited
- may require removal from environmentally significant areas
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| Further information |
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Page maintained by Sonia Jordan
Last updated 15 February 2010
