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Rosaceae FAMILY

Rubus armeniacus

Rubus armeniacus

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Rubus armeniacus is a plant of temperate environments, from coastal estuaries to inland upland sites as high as 1,800 metres above sea level. It occurs mainly in areas with an average annual rainfall greater than 760mm, at altitudes from near sea level up to 1,800 metres[1]. It is restricted to temperate and continental climates[1]. The plant can tolerate short-lived temperatures falling as low as -18°c and summer temperatures occasionally rising as high as 37°c[1] Prefers a position in full sunlight but also grows well under light canopies, though it does not grow well under dense canopies[1]. The plant tolerates a wide range of soil types, growing in fine, medium and coarse textured soils that are acid to alkaline. It tolerates occasional flooding with both fresh and brackish water. A field study of the species adaptive capacity to drought demonstrated that it is capable of both rapid water use when water is widely available and effective at water acquisition when it is in short supply[1]. Rubus armeniacus was at one time the most commonly cultivated blackberry in Europe, and was also widely grown in N. America. It is less grown at present, being largely replaced by Rubus laciniatus which, although having a smaller and less sweet fruit, has the advantage of being easier to harvest (since it is free of spines) and having a firmer fruit that is easier to get to market in good condition[2].

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[3]. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Rubus+armeniacus>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
  2. [2]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Flora Europaea — ? · Cambridge University Press · 1964 · ISBN - ↩︎An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
  5. [5]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  6. [6]Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. — Chiej. R. · MacDonald · 1984 · ISBN 0-356-10541-5 ↩︎Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
  7. [7]Edible and Medicinal Plants. — Launert. E. · Hamlyn · 1981 · ISBN 0-600-37216-2 ↩︎Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
  8. [8]The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. — Mills. S. Y. ↩︎An excellent small herbal.
  9. [9]The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants — Chevallier. A. · Dorling Kindersley. London · 1996 · ISBN 9-780751-303148 ↩︎An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
  10. [10]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  11. [11]Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. — Grae. I. · MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. · 1974 · ISBN 0-02-544950-8 ↩︎A very good and readable book on dyeing.
  12. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎