Pennsylvania Blackberry
Rubus pensilvanicus
native
Other Names:
Prickly Blackberry
Pennsylvania Blackberry is a native prickly perennial shrub found in most of Virginia. It is very common in a wide range of natural and disturbed habitats, including floodplain forests, upland forests, swamps, clearings, fields, and roadsides. Pennsylvania Blackberry blooms in the late spring and early summer. The flowers are replaced by juicy fruits that are 3/4 of an inch long. The fruits mature in mid- to late summer, and they are an important source of food for many species of birds, including Wood Thrushes, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Brown Thrashers, Gray Catbirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Towhees, Song Sparrows, American Crows, Northern Flickers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Tufted Titmice. Pennsylvania Blackberry is also visited by a broad range of insects.
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