''Rubus canadensis'' is a North American species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names smooth blackberry, Canadian blackberry, thornless blackberry and smooth highbush blackberry. It is native to central and eastern Canada (from

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

to Ontario) and the eastern United States ( New England, the Great Lakes region, and the Appalachian Mountains).Coladonato, Milo. 1994
''Rubus canadensis''.
In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
/ref> This rhizomatous

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

forms thickets up to 2 to 3 meters (7–10 feet) tall. The leaves are deciduous and alternately arranged, each measuring 10 to 20 centimeters (4-8 inches) long. The inflorescence is a cluster of up to 25 flowers. The fruit is an

aggregate Aggregate or aggregates may refer to: Computing and mathematics * collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...

of many small

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

s, each of which contains a tiny nutlet. The plant reproduces by seed, by sprouting up from the rhizome, and by layering. The stems can grow one meter (40 inches) in height in under two months.Flora of North America, ''Rubus canadensis'' Linnaeus, 1753. Canadian or smooth highbush blackberry, ronce du Canada
/ref> ''Rubus canadensis'' grows in many types of forested habitat, as well as on disturbed sites. Associated plants may include

mountain maple ''Acer spicatum'', the mountain maple, dwarf maple, moose maple, or white maple, is a species of maple native to northeastern North America from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to Pennsylvania. It also grows at high elevations in the sout ...

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Acer spicatum ''Acer spicatum'', the mountain maple, dwarf maple, moose maple, or white maple, is a species of maple native to northeastern North America from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to Pennsylvania. It also grows at high elevations in the sout ...

''),

serviceberry ''Amelanchier'' ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear,A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants/ref> is a g ...

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Amelanchier ''Amelanchier'' ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear,A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants/ref> is a g ...

'' spp.),

hobblebush ''Viburnum lantanoides'' (commonly known as hobble-bush, witch-hobble, alder-leaved viburnum, American wayfaring tree, and moosewood) is a perennial shrub of the family Adoxaceae (formerly in the Caprifoliaceae), growing 2–4 meters (6–12&nbs ...

('' Viburnum alnifolium''), scarlet elder (''

Sambucus pubens ''Sambucus pubens'', the American red elder, is a species of elder (''Sambucus'') native to eastern North America. The inflorescence is a rounded panicle, making the plant easy to distinguish from the more common '' S. canadensis'', which has a ...

''), common blackberry ('' Rubus allegheniensis''),

beaked hazel ''Corylus cornuta'', the beaked hazelnut (or just ''beaked hazel''), is a deciduous shrubby hazel with two subspecies found throughout most of North America. Description The beaked hazelnut can reach tall with stems thick with smooth gray ...

('' Corylus cornuta''),

southern mountain cranberry Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Expres ...

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Vaccinium erythrocarpum ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (wh ...

''), minnie-bush ''(

Menziesia pilosa ''Menziesia'' was a genus of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. More recently it has been reclassified within the genus ''Rhododendron''. it was formally transferred in 2011. Species * ''Menziesia ciliicalyx'' (Miq.) Maxim. = ''Rhododendro ...

),'' and

rosebay Rosebay is a common name for several plants Rosebay may refer to: * '' Nerium oleander'', a shrub in the family Apocynaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and cultivated in other warm subtropical areas * ''Chamerion angustifolium'', a herbace ...

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Rhododendron catawbiense ''Rhododendron catawbiense'', with common names Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay, rosebay laurel, is a species of '' Rhododendron'' native to the eastern ...

''). Many types of animals feed on the fruits and foliage of this shrub. The thickets provide cover and nesting sites. The fruits of this plant provided food for Native American groups, who also used parts of the plant medicinally at times.''Rubus canadensis''.
University of Michigan Ethnobotany.

References

External links

* *
The Nature Conservancy
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3446528 canadensis Flora of Canada Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus