Rubus canadensis

The Smooth Blackberry, also referred to as Canadian Blackberry, Thornless Blackberry and Smooth Highbush Blackberry, is a member of the rose family. The Smooth Blackberry can be found throughout Eastern Canada. This species forms irregular thickets with reddish-purple to brown stems. Leaves produced are lance-shaped, arranged alternately along the branches and are compounded with five leaflets. During the fall, the leaves turn from light green to dark red or deep purple. During the spring and summer, five-petalled, white flowers grow in clusters of up to 25 at the end of the branches. By mid-summer, the flowers give rise to edible purplish-black fleshy fruits which ripen by late August. This shrub’s fruiting bodies provide an important food source for birds and small mammals.

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Scientific Name: Rubus canadensis
Type: Shrub
Height: 2m
Spread:
Moisture Level: dry, moist, wet
Light Conditions: full sun, part sun
Soil Conditions: sand, clay, loam, acidic
Zone (Hardiness of Canada): 4 to 6