I Spy in the Sea to Sky…

I Spy in the Sea to Sky…
I Spy in the Sea to Sky…

Summer is underway along with our long-awaited berry season! Delicious, native berries like Salmonberry and Thimbleberry have been ripening up throughout the Sea to Sky. Unlike the others, this week’s invasive plant feature is dark, juicy, and quite troublesome!

You can tell I’m not local just by name,

Though I may not be from where I claim,

With white little flowers and berries so sweet,  

There’s no other invasive so yummy to eat. 

Rubus-armeniacus
2016-07-05-14.14.02-scaled

We hope you went with your gut with this one and guessed Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus). Those who really know their berries would know that this isn’t the only kind of blackberry found in the region. The fellow invasive, Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry, which can be distinguished by jagged-looking leaves, and the native Trailing Blackberry that grows low to the ground, are also common in the area.

Himalayan Blackberry is easily identified by its thick stems covered in large, green, or red prickles. Other key features are its round leaves with tapered edges, and large bushes that usually grow around 3 meters tall. In summer, Himalayan Blackberry produces small, light pink, 5-petaled flowers.

Despite its name, Himalayan Blackberry is likely native to Armenia and Northern Iran, however, some believe it originates from Western Europe or the Himalayas. Did its abundance throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor fool you into thinking that the plant was native to the Pacific Northwest?

Himalayan Blackberry rapidly spreads in clearings, disturbed sites, roadsides, stream banks, wastelands, pastures, forest plantations, and fence lines. It’s no surprise we find Himalayan Blackberry around every corner in the southern part of the region, with thickets producing between 7,000- 13,000 seeds per square meter that stay viable in the soil for up to several years. While this is lovely for an impromptu snack, its rapid spread out-competes native plant species, restricts wildlife’s access to resources, and limits recreational access.

rubus_discolor_himalayan_blackberry_plants_ssisc

As the SSISC Species Priority List denotes, infestations in Squamish and South are being strategically controlled, while we are working to eradicate Himalayan Blackberry from Whistler and Pemberton. To help us eliminate this invasive species, please report your signings here.

I Spy in the Sea to Sky Contest

Guess the invasive species in our I Spy in the Sea to Sky weekly social media post, June through August, to enter the giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky commenter will win a Native Wildflower seed mix packet!

Contest Rules:

  • Comment your guess (common/species name) on either Facebook or Instagram post to enter
  • One entry per person per post
  • Anyone can play, but only residents of the Sea to Sky region are eligible to win (as prizes will be delivered)
  • Content entries will close at 11:59 PM PST on the last day of the month
  • Winners will be announced in the first week of the following month on the SSISC Instagram story and contacted via their platform of entry
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