I’m a prickly shrub growing 2 meters tall,
Integrated control is my only downfall,
With berries so sweet you’ll forget I’m a weed,
Infesting wetlands with vigour and speed.
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry has distinct, deeply-lobed leaves that make the species identifiable year-round. Well-known for its delicious berries in the summer, Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry is an aggressive spreader that climbs over obstacles with ease. In the winter, without it berries, it’s just a nuisance!
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry, like all other invasive blackberry species, was first brought to North America to be grown for its delicious berries before escaping and making itself at home. This species is native to Europe. Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry thrives in various environments and conditions: it can be found in disturbed sites, roadside stream banks, pastures, forest plantations, riparian areas, and along wetland edges.
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry is an evergreen bramble with sharp, curved thorns and distinct deeply-lobed leaves. The arching stems climb over all obstacles, creating dense thickets. Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry’s leaves are comprised of 5 green leaflets with hairy undersides. The leaflets are deeply divided, with pointy tips. During the spring and summer, this species’ white, 5-petaled flowers are grouped in clusters of 5 – 20 and mature into blackberries.
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry reproduces by seed and vegetatively. Its seeds are protected inside the juicy berries that wildlife and humans love to eat. Read more about Blackberry foraging here! These berries allow Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry to spread rapidly. New shoots can also form from stem cuttings, root pieces, and stem parts that touch the ground; this is called vegetative reproduction.
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry poses a few threats to the environment. This invasive forms dense, thorny thickets that outcompete native species and prevent wildlife movement. These thickets can also block access to waterbodies, reduce visibility along highways, and infest stream channels and banks.
Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry is sometimes confused with other species of blackberry found in the Sea to Sky region, including invasive Himalayan Blackberry, invasive Common Blackberry, and native Trailing Blackberry.
- Himalayan Blackberry also produces juicy blackberries, but it is much larger than Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry and has egg-shaped leaflets with toothed edges rather than deeply lobed leaves. Its prickles are also much less curved.
- Common Blackberry looks very similar to Himalayan Blackberry, with more rounded leaves and straighter prickles than Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry.
- Trailing Blackberry is the only native species of blackberry found in BC. It trails along the ground rather than growing upright and has thin greyish stems with very small prickles.
Per SSISC’s Invasive Plants Priority List, Himalayan Blackberry is listed as a species to eradicate in Whistler and Pemberton and to strategically control in Squamish. We rely heavily on reports from the public to understand the current distribution of plants in the Sea to Sky and prevent their spread. With that in mind, we invite you to keep your eyes peeled for Himalayan Blackberry and report any sightings.
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