black raspberry Rosaceae Rubus occidentalis L. symbol: RUOC Leaf: Alternate, palmately compound, 3 to 5 inches long and wide, 3 to 5 leaflets with serrated margins, small prickles on petiole, light green above, and much paler (nearly white) below. Flower: Species is monoecious; not showy, 5 small greenish white petals, appearing in late spring. Fruit: Juicy, black, multiple of drupes, 1/2 inch across, ripen in mid summer. When picked they separate from the fleshy core forming a hollow shell. Twig: Arching "canes" which generally live 2 years. Purplish-red with an abundance of white glaucous bloom and hooked prickles. Canes readily root at the tips when they contact the ground. Bark: Similar to canes but darker and not glaucous. Form: Arching canes may reach 3 to 5 feet high, often forming dense tangled thickets. Looks like: Alleghany blackberry - prickly Florida blackberry - dewberry - raspberry Additional Range Information: Rubus occidentalis is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting black raspberry. More: Fall Color External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson