Rubus fruticosus – Bramble

A native species to the British Isles, the bramble can be found almost anywhere in the UK. It can be found in many different types of plant communities, from heaths and dunes to woodlands (although not native to pine woodland). It is more common in lowland than upland areas but can be found in either. Brambles can be self-seeded and grow almost anywhere there is soil. The specimen in my photographs is a ruderal one found in the back garden of a house in Manchester.

An interesting characteristic of the bramble is its ‘two year life span.’ In their first year of growth they are biennial and growth is vigorous and vegetative. It’s leaves on ‘1^st year’ shoots are compound and palmate with 5-7 leaflets. In its second year, lateral shoots develop bearing flowers, and its leaves are slightly smaller and have 3-5 leaflets.

When the tips of the shoots come in direct contact with the ground, they can develop roots and form a daughter plant. This is a form of reproduction, the daughter plant will have the same genetic makeup as its parent plant.

Bramble flowers are white or pale pink and appear in late spring or early summer. The ‘blackberry’ fruit develops through these flowers, however some brambles produce fruit and seed without fertilization through a process called apomixis. This can create some minute differences in the plant and has created some microspecies, however these can be difficult to identify as the differences are minute.

Blackberries are an important food source for many insect and mite species, some relying solely on bramble fruit. It also supports wildlife in other ways, such as birds who take refuge in bramble thickets as its prickly branches offer protection from predators. This also makes bramble an effective hedgerow for retaining animals as its thorns and branches deter animals.