Blackberry, Bramble
Rubus fruticosus
Rosaceae
Rose family
Description: A thorny, sprawling bush with white or pink flowers and black berries.
Habitat: Widespread in hedgerows, woods and on waste ground.
Distribution: Widespread. Native to temperate Europe but naturalised in North America and Austral- asia.
Blackberry or bramble is one of the most familiar and also most aggressive of hedgerow plants. The protective spines demand respect, but the berries and leaves offer medicinal rewards that repay the inevitable scratches of picking.