Blackberry
Rubus fruticosus
Origin. Europe.
Distribution in Canberra Region. Widespread, a major weed of riverine and woodland areas and pine forests. A major thicket extends 5 km along the Brindabella Road west of Uriarra Junction. Practically each division of CNP has thickets.
Dispersal. Birds, animals, water.
General Description and Biology
A prickly vine, tenacious and highly invasive.
Young stems are soft but become woody at the base as the plant matures.
Leaves have 3 to 5 leaflets on a short spiny stalk.
Upper surface of leaves dark green; underneath whitish.
Leaf edges are finely serrated.
Flowers, pinkish white, appear from December to March.
Fruits consist of many small fleshy fruitlets mounted on a pithy core.
Fruits are initially green, then turn red and finally dark purple.
The plant reproduces from seeds in the fruits; but also any part of the vine will take root when it remains in contact with soil (a process known as �layering�).
Thus a single plant soon becomes a multi-rooted forest of blackberry vines.
The underlying root system may be as big as a house.
To be distinguished from Native Raspberry.
Control Methods
a. Manual
Digging out the roots is possible, using a mattock, for small and young (new) plants only.
b. Chemical
A range of chemicals has been used.
Glyphosate can be used, dabbed on the cut stem as for other woody weeds.
But afterwards there is likely to be substantial re-growth.
So a better strategy is use of specific herbicides (one or more) by CNP/CUPP staff or qualified contractors. It is better to wait until there is profuse growth of foliage, to facilitate absorption of the herbicides.
Herbicides are generally used only every second year, in order to reduce development of resistance.
In CNP blackberry is usually handled by CNP staff or contractors.
See CRC Best Management Guide#5 for more details.