Rubus racemosus

Botanical Description

Rubus racemosus is a deciduous shrub producing a cluster of prickly, biennial stems from a woody rootstock. The stems only produce leaves, and do not flower, in their first year of growth; forming flowering branches in their second year and then dying after fruiting. The plant grows vigorously, forming dense, impenetrable thickets of growth[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as a fruit crop and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental. At present, this species has been listed as invasive only in Jamaica, where it is principally invading areas in montane rainforests in the Blue Mountains region. The plant grows vigorously there and fruits abundantly, forming impenetrable thickets that out-compete and displace native vegetation and impede the movement of native wildlife[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. Although it has been apparently introduced only in Jamaica, this species has the capability to colonize similar montane and rain forests in tropical and subtropical regions[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].