If you’ve spent much time in Squamish, you’ve likely driven by or walked past a patch of Himalayan Blackberry. It’s all over the town – beside the highway, in backyards, along the train tracks, and it’s even pretty common to find in local parks, like Smoke Bluffs, Coho Park, or the Estuary.
This invasive plant is a prickly nuisance. Its long, trailing canes have sharp thorns that make it difficult for people and animals to move around. The berries are delicious to eat, however the ecological impacts of Himalayan Blackberry are not worth the sweet treats. This plant grows and spreads rapidly, which means it outcompetes native plants. Learn more about Himalayan Blackberry and its impacts here.
But if this plant is such an aggressive spreader, how come you don’t see as much of it north of Squamish, in Whistler or Pemberton?
This map shows the distribution of Himalayan Blackberry in the Sea to Sky. As you can see, it’s clearly much more abundant in the southern part of our region.
The red line just north of Squamish is a ‘containment line’.
- To the north of (above) this line, our field crew is working to eradicate Himalayan Blackberry.
- To the south of (below) this line, our goal is to strategically control Himalayan Blackberry.
To begin with, historically, the number of Himalayan Blackberry sites has been lower in the northern part of our region. This is likely due to a number of different factors, including the dedicated removal efforts by the Whistler Naturalists (Bob Brett), Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) crews, SSISC’s field crew, and others. Factors such as how the species tolerates the cold, pathways of spread, and methods of dispersal may also play a role in its spread further north.
Himalayan Blackberry plants do not tolerate extreme cold. The colder winters that Whistler and Pemberton experience may be a reason why there are fewer of these plants thriving there. However, with a warming climate, Himalayan Blackberry is expected to be able to establish in new sites that were previously too cold to support it. So, it’s becoming increasingly important for our crew to monitor and control this species in the northern part of our region.
Once a Himalayan Blackberry plant has established itself in a certain area, it easily spreads with its fast-growing canes. In order to get rid of these pesky plants, repeated efforts over multiple growing seasons may be required. Learn more about how to properly get rid of Himalayan Blackberry in Metro Vancouver’s Best Management Practices Factsheet.
Movement of soil or fill materials infested with Himalayan Blackberry plant parts or seeds is another potential vector of spread. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) both have bylaws in place that require a permit to move or deposit soil within their respective boundaries. You can learn more about these bylaws and best management practices for soil movement on our Dig Smart page.
The abundant, sweet blackberries that both humans and animals love to eat are also easily transported to distant locations, and thus have the potential to start a new infestation. You can learn more about eating wild berries (both invasive and native) in this blog post. Please note that, though the berries are delicious, Himalayan Blackberry should not be planted or encouraged to grow. There are many delicious, non-invasive alternatives – check them out in the Grow Me Instead Guide from the Invasive Species Council of BC.
You can help us prevent the spread of Himalayan Blackberry by reporting any sightings, especially those north of the containment line.
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