Virginia Tech Dendrology

evergreen blackberry Rosaceae Rubus laciniatus Willd. symbol: RULA
Leaf: Alternate, palmately compound (3 to 5 highly lacerated leaflets), persistent; leaflets deeply lacerated, green to greenish-red above and paler below, rachis and petiole armed with recurved prickles.
Flower: Perfect, complete; about 1 inch across, white to pink, borne in clusters, appearing in early summer.
Fruit: Black aggregate of drupelets about 1 inch long; adheres to torus (central core) when removed from plant. Very edible.
Twig: Stout, heavily ribbed, purplish-red, armed with heavy recurved prickles.
Bark:
Form: An erect, spreading, or trailing evergreen shrub that gets very large and grows in dense, impenetrable thickets. Young stems are erect, but arch as they lengthen, eventually touching the ground and rooting at the nodes.
Looks like: Himalaya blackberry - whitebark raspberry - wild blackberry - salmonberry

Additional Range Information: Rubus laciniatus is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information