A colony of blackberry can widen by 10 ft. or more a year, smothering every plant in its path. Huge areas of diverse riparian shrubs and forbs have been turned into low productive monocultures by this uninvited plant. The thorns of this species are large, woody arcs, like rose thorns, which draw blood easily.
Berries are blackberry-like, oblong and black in color.
The canes are 5-angled, making large, stiff arches which can reach 10 ft. or more in height before bending over and traveling outward toward a new place to put down roots. The leaves are three-leaflet groups exclusively, and are nearly the same color on the underside of the leaf as the top. The cains are round, green and flexible along the ground or climb weakly into low shrubs and return to ground level. This is a U.S. Government computer system. Before continuing please read this Disclaimer, Privacy Policy , and Kid s Privacy Policy .