Rubus in New Jersey

(these are just my notes; I am not an expert)
In New Jersey we have:

Wineberry (R. phoenicolasias): fuzzy red stems

Black raspberry (R. occidentalis): blue-gray, round stems

(Red raspberry) (R. idaeus) (mostly north of NJ): blue-green or red-green, round stems

Cut-leaved blackberry (R. laciniatus): deeply lobed leaflets

Sand blackberry (R. cunefolius): wedge-shaped, smallish leaflets

Purple flowering raspberry (R. odoratus): leaves not divided, currant or maple-like

Common dewberry (R. flagellaris): trailing with prickles on stems, dull leaves

Swamp dewberry (R. hispidus): trailing with bristles and some prickles on stems, shiny leaves

Common blackberry (R. allegheniensis): fluted stems, flowers in clusters of more than 12, in a raceme, glandular flowerstalks

Pennsylvania blackberry (R. pensylvanicus): fluted stems, flowers in clusters of fewer than 12, not very glandular, not always a raceme and if so a short one.

note: in separating the raspberries: R. idaeus has pinnately compound leaves (you'll see this on the new growth)
while R. occidentilis is virtually always trifoliate.

And obviously the fruit of R. idaeus is red and of R. occidentalis is black.

Posted on September 19, 2023 05:32 PM by srall