I Hate Blackberries! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mexico

Himalayan blackberry prefers wet soils, so the Pacific Northwest in the US has the most gigantic infestations. But many other areas and countries have been invaded as well, including New Zealand, Australia, South America, South Africa and parts of Asia.

Answer: Armenia

One of several scientific names that has been given to the Himalayan blackberry is Rubus armeniacus, due to its origins. It's more often referred to as Rubus discolor, and occasionally Rubus procerus.

Answer: Leaves are poisonous to livestock

While blackberry leaves are not poisonous, they are not favored browse to livestock- except for goats, which relish them and are used to control blackberries.

Himalayan blackberry aggressively outcompetes native plants and forms monocultures of acres of nothing but blackberries. These thickets are impenetrable by humans or large animals due to the wicked thorns on the canes (blackberry is a member of the rose family.)

Blackberry canes only live about two years; thus a large infestation creates a huge amount of dried dead canes that can pose a fire hazard.

Answer: Pieces of thorny cane become entangled in animal fur, fall out, and root

The long canes of Himalayan blackberries can grow over 10 feet per year, rooting wherever they touch the ground. At the same time, the roots spread and send up suckers everywhere. And, of course, the bounty of tasty berries leads to animals being willing to spread the seeds far and wide, complete with an initial dose of fertilizer.

Answer: Riparian areas near streams and rivers

Himalayan blackberries are intolerant of shade, so are rarely problematic in old-growth forests (except in clearcut areas.) While they can grow in prairies and oak woodlands, they thrive best in the damp soil near rivers and streams. They quickly invade any areas where soil is disturbed as well.

Answer: Luther Burbank

In 1885, Luther Burbank, the famed horticulturalist whose more sensible accomplishments included breeding freestone peaches and russet potatoes, brought the blackberry over from Europe. Shame on him. As a fellow soldier in the war wrote in his blog, "May Luther Burbank rot in his grave for unleashing this despicable vegetation upon our defenseless natives." (http://hinessight.blogs.com/hinessight/2004/11/index.html)

Answer: True

As late as the 1980s, some state Departments of Natural Resources used them as a quick way to stabilize denuded streambanks. Now, the same departments are spending big bucks to try and eradicate them.

Answer: A fungal disease

Phragmidium violaceum is a rust, a type of fungal organism that attacks plant leaves. It is called a "rust" because the affected spots look rusty. This disease was first found in the US in western Oregon in April of 2005.It is spreading through parts of Oregon and Washington.

Despite the fears of commercial growers, cultivated berries seem to be immune to it. Results in Australia from the introduction of this disease have been mixed- some areas have reported good control while in others plants were little affected.

It remains to be seen what the rust will do to Himalayan blackberries in the Pacific Northwest- here's to hoping that it socks 'em good!

Answer: Cut them down after flowering, dig up all root crowns, and spray any shoots that emerge in the fall with herbicides

Blackberries sprout vigorously after being cut or burned, and outcompete any other species that was cut or burned at the same time. In order for herbicides to work, they must be transported to the roots to kill them. During the spring, all the nutrients in the plant are traveling out to the flowers, not to the roots.

In order for herbicides to work well, they must be applied in the fall when the nutrients are being stored in the roots. However, cutting the plants down works best after flowering, when they have used up most of their resources.

Answer: Yes, but they are outweighed by their deficits

Sigh. The (insert expletive of your choice here) Himalayan blackberries do have some good points. Their fruit is really, really good; relished by human and animal alike. They do provide nesting cover for birds. Their roots help prevent erosion...in other words, they may be better than bare dirt.

But the tremendous harm that they do to natural habitats cannot be overlooked, and there are native plants that can provide all of the benefits of blackberries with none of the deficits.