ROSE FAMILY ROSACEAE 
WILD BLACKBERRY 
Rubus allegheniensis Porter 
The Wild Blackberry occurs in dry soil from Nova Scotia 
to Ontario and south to North Carolina and Arkansas, and 
will likely be found in recent clearings of what was upland forest. 
Its reddish to purple 
stems grow 2-8 feet tall 
and are covered with 
prickles, which  for- 
tunately prevent people 
from gathering them for 
bouquets. Leaves of the 
first year’s growth usu- 
ally have 5 leaflets, 
whereas most of those on 
the flowering canes, 
which are 1 year old, 
have 3 leaflets. 
The starry white 
flowers are very con- 
spicuous and exceeding- 
ingly common in May 
and June. The large 
petals are about twice 
as long as the green 
sepals, and stamens and 
pistils are numerous. 
The delicious juicy 
fruits mature during July and August, being successively green, 
red and black. Blackberry jam made from these fruits has long 
been a favorite preserve with city and country folk alike. 
The Black Raspberry or Thimbleberry, Rubus occidentalis L., 
is also common in the state, occurring quite generally from Georgia 
and Mississippi to Quebec and Ontario. The stems are overcast 
with a whitish waxy bloom, and they often bend over and root 
at the tips. The flowers may easily be distinguished from those 
of the Blackberry because they are smaller, and the petals are 
shorter than the sepals. The purple-black fruits ripen early in 
July. 
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