trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

GWN.0021

trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

Pacific blackberry

California Blackberry

dewberry

Pacific dewberry

2026-03-19 [photographed]

LCSH
Blackberries -- Oregon.
Climbing plants -- Oregon.
Fruit -- Oregon.
Plant-pollinator relationships -- Oregon.
Native plants for cultivation -- Oregon

Trailing blackberry gets its name from its trailing habit. Its spiny trailing branches can reach twenty feet in length. Through the spring and summer, the stems are covered in small white flowers. The flowers ripen into blackberries edible to people and wildlife alike. Shown here is a cutting of blackberry. Leaves grow in clusters along the prickly stem. Last year's leaves are large and have reddish or brown spots, the new leaves are much smaller, still partially furled, and dull green. There are two clusters of flowers on the lower half of the stem. The flowers are white with five petals and have greenish-white stamens.

Bloom time:
April - August

Sun requirements:
sun
part shade
shade

Water requirements:
dry to wet

Size at maturity:
3 - 20 ft high
4 - 15 ft wide

Wildlife supports:
Nectar source for adult butterflies, pollinators, beneficial insects, and hummingbirds.
Birds and mammals eat the berries.
Caterpillar host plant and larval food source.
Provides cover for small mammals and birds.

plant material

4 in x 3.5 in [stem and leaves]

Physical Object

British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Montana

Stanley, G. B. (n.d.) Rubus ursinus. Washington Native Plant Society. https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory/236:rubus-ursinus.

trailing blackberry Rubus ursinus. (n.d.) Oregon Flora. Retrieved March 19, 2026, from https://oregonflora.org/taxa/garden.php?taxon=7965.

2026-03-19