Scientific Name: Rubus occidentalis
Common Name(s): Black Raspberry, Blackcap, Bear’s Eye Blackberry, Scotch Cap

From left to right:
Photo 1: New black raspberry with five leaflets and no berries, Photo 2: Black raspberry thicket, Photo 3: Second year growth with three leaflets. Unripe berries are red and white. Ripe berries are dark purple.

Identification:

Black Raspberry is an edible native thicket-forming shrub that forms canes 5 to 8 feet in length. They produce dark purple to black fruit which is about the size of a fingertip. The arching canes curve to meet the ground where it grows roots forming a new plant. The stem contains small but sharp thorns throughout. New stems (primocanes) are light green transitioning to deep red in winter. Second year canes (floricanes) produce branches, bloom, fruit, and then die. The leaves are compound with three leaflets on the flowering branch and five leaflets on the newly growing and non-flowering branches. The individual leaf is pinnate in shape with serrated edges.

Black raspberry bushes flower in mid-May. Black raspberry bushes are monoecious, which means that each shrub contains both male and female reproductive structures. Flowers and subsequent fruit grow from the previous year’s canes and are composed of several flowers clustered in groups throughout the stalk. The flowers contain five oblong petals that are erect on new flowers, which then ascend to widely spread petals. The vertical structures in the flowers that hold pollen (stamen) are long and clustered in a dense circle around the middle of the flower. The sepals, which are the green portion that surrounds the petals before they open, is nearly twice as long as the petals.

Black raspberries ripen in May and June producing fruit for two to three weeks. They fruit before native Blackberry plants. The fruit of the black raspberry is similar to blackberries and red raspberries in that it is a cluster of smaller berries that compose one whole fruit known as a drupe. The black raspberry fruits starts out green, progresses to red, and then deep purple when ripe. The fruit will only grow on last year’s new growth.

https://plants.usda.gov/home

Range:

The native range of Black Raspberry is in the Midwest, Eastern, Northern, and Southern United States, with the exception of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.

Ecology:

Black Raspberries are in the Rose family (Rosaceae) along with other commonly known fruiting and decorative bushes such as apricots, blackberries, apples, and roses. It is in the Genus Rubus, which includes other plants with fruits that are composed of a cluster of smaller berries that make up one larger berry known as a drupe. Black Raspberries are native to North America and were present before European settlers. They provide food for over 150 bird and mammal species, where dense thickets provide shelter for mammals such as rabbits, foxes, chipmunks, and young deer.

They can be found in disturbed habitats such as logged habitats, powerline corridors, forest margins, along roadways, and along waterways. They grow best in partial sun, such as along forest margins, and especially areas with morning sun and afternoon shade. They are fairly resilient and can grow in conditions of full sun to shade, but will produce fewer berries if not watered adequately. They thrive in moist soil with high organic content, such as fertile loam, but can also grow in compacted, infertile soils like sandy loam or clay.

If you would like to cultivate black raspberry plants, their care is fairly straightforward. Plant bushes in areas with morning sun and afternoon shade to prevent dehydration during the hottest hours of the day, and in areas with moist but well-drained soil. If transplanting from natural areas, determine which stands produce the largest and most prolific berries. Mark this area in your mind and come back in the early spring to take a few individual plants leaving the rest. The entire stand may have the same genetics because of how they reproduce from the tips of canes. They also reproduce by seeds, but they are often carried off to new locations by birds.

Berry production does not benefit immediately from fertilization, but does best with natural fertilization, such as leaf litter and compost applied in the fall. Allow fall leaves to collect around the bushes to provide natural nutrients. Apply compost fall. Since the berries grow on a two-year cycle, it is best to fertilize over time, using current-year compost and leaf litter to help boost fruit production in subsequent years. New bushes can be grown from the cutting of the first-year stem. The stems can be arched toward the ground, and the tips placed in the soil to allow for new rooting. Once the roots are established, the stem tip can be cut from the rest of the branch. This allows new growth to produce fruit the subsequent year. Black raspberries do well when planted with Bee Balm and Cardinal flower, which attract pollinators and can boost berry production.

Special Notes:

There are plenty of areas where black raspberry plants grow in Bella Vista. They can be found especially along forest edges and along powerline corridors. They are a highly desired berry for deserts, jelly, and ice cream. The black raspberry plants are an excellent native bush to add around your house, especially if you would like to attract birds, and provide them with high-nutrient foods.