California Blackberry is a low‑to‑mid‑height vine or shrub. It grows two to five feet tall and up to six feet wide, with trailing stems that can cover large areas. Those stems can have thorns on them. So leave them be.
Dense thickets of the California Blackberry offer shelter for wildlife. Its berries serve as food for birds, mammals, and insects at Point Lobos. But not humans! Everything at Point Lobos is protected for the benefit of the animals that live here.
The leaves of the California Blackberry look similar to those of poison oak. Best not to touch any vine with three leaves!
The California Blackberry’s scientific name includes “ursinus,” which means “bear‑like” in Latin. That is a nod to the large, robust thickets of Blackberry vines that can resemble a bear’s fur.
Photo by Don Blohowiak
Photo by Don Blohowiak
Photo by Don Blohowiak
California Blackberry relies on
Sun
Water
Nutrients