Rubus pensilvanicus

Pennsylvania blackberry

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Pennsylvania blackberry is a naturalized shrub found in the California Floristic Province in disturbed areas at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white flowers 10 to 20 millimeters wide with rounded to obovate petals. Growing 1 to 3 meters tall with erect to arched stems, it has many stout, wide-based prickles that are straight or slightly curved. Its compound leaves feature 5 leaflets, with the terminal leaflet ovate-elliptic, sharply double-toothed, and covered in gray hair on the underside. The fruit develops as a classic blackberry, turning deep black when ripe.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: CA-FP

California counties: Humboldt, Fresno, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Butte, San Bernardino, Riverside, Amador, Contra Costa, Kern, Mariposa, Monterey, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, Sutter, Ventura, Yuba, San Joaquin, Orange, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Yolo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.