Species › Plants › Pacific Blackberry

Pacific Blackberry

Rubus ursinus

CommonPlant
Illustration of Pacific Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

Pacific Blackberry is the only blackberry species native to the Pacific Coast of North America and is the wild ancestor of the commercially grown Marionberry and Loganberry. Its trailing, prickly canes spread extensively along the ground and over shrubs, producing small but intensely sweet black berries in summer. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants, and requires both for fruit set. The species is an important ecological pioneer in disturbed areas along the Pacific Coast, quickly stabilizing bare ground.

Habitat
Forest edges, coastal scrub, roadsides, and disturbed ground from British Columbia south to Baja California.
Diet
Berries eaten by Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Black Bears, and Coyotes; flowers pollinated by bumble bees and native bees.
How common
Common

Best time to see a Pacific Blackberry

The best time to see a Pacific Blackberry is February–June, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 28,201 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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