A little seed. A new beginning.
Seeds In A Cup®A LITTLE SEED. A NEW BEGINNING.

GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Blackberry

Rubus fruticosus

Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.

THE PLANT NOTEBOOK

Blackberry care, from seed onward.

Botanical name
Rubus fruticosus
Common names
Bramble
Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Rubus
Species
R. fruticosus
01

Start growing

Needs support (trellis) and regular pruning. Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.

02

Growing with your kit

Watch the 'arch' of the blackberry cane in your Seeds In A Cup® observation kit—a classic vining behavior.

03

Propagation

By tip layering, cuttings, or seeds.

04

Seasonal growth & harvest

Canes grow the first year and produce fruit the second year (except primocane-fruiting varieties).

05

Growing conditions

Hedgerows, woodland edges, and disturbed areas.

06

Weather & tolerances

Heat tolerant; sensitive to extreme winter freezes in some cultivars.

07

Pests & plant health

Spotted wing drosophila and cane borers.

08

Plant safety

Safe; watch for thorns in wild varieties.

09

Botanical features

A sprawling perennial shrub with biennial thorny canes. Produces aggregate fruits (drupelets).

10

Varieties

‘Triple Crown’ (Thornless), ‘Prime-Ark Freedom’.

11

Garden & everyday uses

Eating fresh, pies, jams, and traditional wine

12

Native range & distribution

Native to Europe and Asia; widely naturalized in North America.

13

Conservation

Secure; often considered a weed in optimal growing conditions.

14

Name origins

From the Latin ‘ruber’ (red), though the mature fruit is deep black.

15

History

Leaves were used by ancient Greeks to treat gout and by the British to make traditional 'Bramble Jelly'.

Grow blackberry in a cup.