You can tell I’m not local just by my name,
though I may not be from where I claim.
With little white flowers and berries so sweet,
no other invasive makes such a tasty treat!
I Spy in the Sea to Sky…
This plant has delicious berries, and is actually from Armenia and Northern Iran, despite what its name suggests. Can you guess what it is?
It’s Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)! It flowers from April to July, and produces its fruit (the tasty blackberries) from July to September. It likes wet and moist places at low elevations, so watch out for it in clearings, roadsides, stream banks and along fence lines. Himalayan Blackberry is abundant in certain portions of the Sea to Sky region (i.e., in Squamish and south) but has not yet infested all potential habitats. The goal is to contain the spread of Himalayan Blackberry to ISMA 1. This plant is also one of Pemberton’s Worst Weeds.
Himalayan Blackberry can be easily identified by several distinctive features:
- White to pinkish, five-petaled flowers that are around 2.5 cm in diameter (about the size of a toonie coin).
- Thick stems with sharp, stiff thorns that are green or red.
- Leaves are oval and toothed, normally grouped in threes or fives.
- Black, shiny, edible berries.
Does Himalayan Blackberry have any look-alikes?
There are several different blackberry species in the Sea to Sky:
- Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is the only native Blackberry species in BC. It is a low, trailing plant that has 3 distinct leaflets and grows much closer to the ground.
- Common Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) is invasive to BC, and is slightly smaller than Himalayan Blackberry with lightly toothed edges.
- Cutleaf Blackberry (Rubus laciniatus) is also invasive, with deeply divided leaflets that look lobed with toothy margins. Its leaves are medium to dark green and are made up of 5 leaflets.
Check out this blog post to learn more about how to differentiate between the species.
Why is Himalayan Blackberry such a concern in the Sea to Sky?
Himalayan Blackberry is an aggressive spreader with no natural predators in our area. It spreads both by seed and vegetatively. Did you know this plant has an extensive system of roots that can exceed 10 meters in length and grow over 1 meter deep? It is very difficult to remove.
As it likes to grow near water, it can infest stream channels and banks, restricting native wildlife from accessing water. It also outcompetes native plants, reduces land value, and increases the likelihood of erosion along streambanks.
If you want to know what you can do to help, read more about Himalayan Blackberry on its species profile page.
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 our giveaway.
At the end of each month, one lucky commenter will win a native wildflower seed mix packet! Follow us and comment on social media to participate!
CONTEST RULES:
- Comment your guess (common or species name) on the social media post (on Instagram or Facebook) to enter. Only correct guesses will qualify you for the giveaway.
- One entry per person per post.
- Anyone can play, but only Sea to Sky region residents can win.
- Entries will close at 11:59 PM PST on July 31th, 2024.
- Winners will be announced in the first week of August in an Instagram story AND contacted directly via their platform of entry.
Want to learn more?
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