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Rubus ursinus

Trailing Blackberry

At a Glance: Trailing prickly vine producing small blackberries in late summer.

Height: 20 inches (50 cm).
Growth Form: Shrub or vine.
Stems: Stems prostrate, trailing up to 5 meters long, armed with curved, unflattened prickles; floral canes erect; stems covered in fine waxy powder; blue-green in color.
Leaves: Alternate, with 3 elliptical leaflets, terminal leaflet is 3 lobed, all leaves toothed and pointy; size: leaflets 3-7 cm long; color: dark green above, pale green below.
Flowers: Flowers grow in flat topped clusters from the leaf axils; male and female flowers are on different plants; primary color: white or pale pink; size: 4 cm.
Flowering Period: April, May, June, July, August.
Fruits: Small blackberries 1-1.5 cm long.


Photo © Heidi Bohan

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Mammals: Fruits great for small mammals because they are close to the ground. Bears and deer also seek them out.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Leaves and roots treated diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, excessive menstruation, fevers, hemorrhoids, and mouth sores. They also were added to bitter medicines to sweeten them. Vines were used for scrubbing. Berries would make a purple stain.
Food Uses: The Coast Salish made a tea with the dried leaves. Berries widely used as food. Vines were placed under and over food in steaming pits by the Saanich

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 125.
Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 50.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 975.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 225.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 134.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 274.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 118.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 78.
Turner, N.AJ. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: part 1, Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum. Page 219.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.