20 May 2005 Page 1 of 2 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

FACT SHEET: WINEBERRY

Wineberry 

Rubus phoenicolasius Maxim 

Rose family (Rosaceae) 

NATIVE RANGE 

Japan, Korea and China 

DESCRIPTION 

Wineberry, or wine raspberry, is a typical species in the genus Rubus, which 

contains blackberry and raspberry. The name Rubus phoenicolasius translates 

as "blackberry with purple hairs." The mature plant has long stems (canes) that 

are upright and arching and covered with distinctive glandular red hairs and 

small spines. The hairs give the canes a reddish color when seen from a distance. Under favorable conditions, canes may 

grow to a length of 9 feet. Leaves consist of three heart-shaped, serrated leaflets with purplish veins and are silvery white 

tomentose on the underside. Small greenish flowers with white petals and reddish hairs occur in Spring. The very edible 

raspberry like fruit is bright red and ripens during June and July. 

ECOLOGICAL THREAT 

Wineberry is a vigorous grower and can form dense thickets covering large areas, displacing many native plants in the 

process. Wineberry poses a threat to the native plants that grow in forest, field, stream and wetland edge habitats, open 

woods, and savannas and prairies. 

DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES 

Wineberry is found from New England and eastern Canada south to North 

Carolina and west to Michigan and Tennessee. It is considered an invasive 

plant of natural areas in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, North 

Carolina, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. 

HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES 

Like other members of Rubus, wineberry prefers moist conditions and 

adequate sunlight. Many species of birds and mammals use the brambles for 

nesting and shelter. 

BACKGROUND 

Wineberry was introduced into the United States in 1890 as breeding stock 

for new Rubus cultivars. It is used today by berry breeders to add specific 

genes to berry varieties or species. Wineberry is an example of one man's 

flower being another man's weed. Given containment, wineberry has 

desirable and useful qualities, but due to its invasive nature, it is considered 

a significant pest of agricultural and natural ecosystems. Wineberry has been 

used as a virus indicator for raspberry yellow spot and wineberry latent virus 

and numerous plant viruses have been isolated from it. 

BIOLOGY & SPREAD 

Wineberry reproduces by seeds, and through vegetative means including 

root buds and the sprouting of new plants from where canes touch the soil. 

The drupes are sought after and dispersed by various birds and mammals 

(including humans). 
20 May 2005 Page 2 of 2 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 

Manual, mechanical and chemical means of control are available. Removal of plants by hand pulling or use of a 4-prong 

spading fork can be effective especially if the soil is moist and the roots and any cane fragments are removed. Branches 

with berries should be bagged but the remaining plant material can be left to compost. Do not plant wineberry unless you 

are prepared to contain it vigilantly to prevent unintentional spread. 

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: Always read the entire pesticide label carefully, follow all mixing and application instructions and wear all 

recommended personal protective gear and clothing. Contact your state department of agriculture for any additional pesticide use 

requirements, restrictions or recommendations. 

NOTICE: mention of pesticide products on this page does not constitute endorsement of any material.

CONTACT 

For more information on the management of Wineberry, please contact: 

• Marc Imlay, ialm at erols.com 

• Neal R. Spencer, Entomologist, USDA/ARS, Federal Nutrition Lab, Ithaca, NY, nrs23 at cornell.edu. 

OTHER LINKS 

• http://www.invasive.org/search/action.cfm?q=Rubus%20phoenicolasius 

• http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/icat/browse.do?specieId=93

AUTHOR 

Neal R. Spencer, Entomologist, USDA/ARS, Federal Nutrition Lab, Ithaca, NY 

EDITOR

Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, National Capital Region, Washington, DC 

PHOTOGRAPHS 

John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Davis, CA 

REFERENCES 

Dendrology at Virginia Tech. 2001. Wine raspberry Rosaceae Rubus phoenicolasius

http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/rphoenicolasius.htm 

Padley, Eunice, and Jan Schultz. 1998. Hiawatha National Forest. September, 1998 Listed noxious weeds and invasive 

non-native plants - Eastern Region, USDA-Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/weed/nox-weed.htm 

Randall, John M. & Janet Marinelli Ed. 1996. Invasive Plants: - Weeds of the Global Garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 

21st-Century Gardening Series. Brooklyn, NY. 

Swearingen, J. 2009. WeedUS Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States: Wineberry (Rubus 

phoenicolasius). http://www.invasive.org/weedus/subject.html?sub=3072. 

Talt, Marge. Clearing Woods - Shrubs Part 4 - Brambles Part 1, by Marge Talt, Gardening in Shade on Suite101.com 

http://i5ive.com/article.cfm/shade_gardening/57038. 

USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online 

Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: http://www.arsgrin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?32416 

USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 

70874-4490 USA.