California blackberry
Rubus ursinus · Rosaceae
California blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is a perennial shrub in the Rosaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 7 and warmer, down to about 7°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 2 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | March–April USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 7 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Contracting Only USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 7.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 2 ft, making it about knee height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through April. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 14 to 24 inches of annual precipitation. The low end of that band is genuinely arid, so it has a wide tolerance for dry country. It needs at least 190 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 14 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, bare root, container stock and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated high, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as thicket forming.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Rubus
- Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis
- oldfield blackberry Rubus alumnus
- arctic raspberry Rubus arcticus
- sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus
Similar role and hardiness
- southwestern pricklypoppy Argemone pleiacantha
- Australian saltbush Atriplex semibaccata
- sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica
- Rainier pleated gentian Gentiana calycosa
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol RUUR, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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