BlackBerry

Blackberry spreads by seeds, suckers and vegetatively. Bushes can reach dense, thorny, thickets up to two meters tall with some individual canes measuring up to seven meters.

Blackberry is a weed of pastures, riverbanks and creeklines, with its dense vegetation harbouring pests such as foxes and rabbits.

The fruits are spread by birds and mammals, especially foxes. The palatability of the fruits means that blackberry can be spread large distances from the source.

Control is made harder by the thorns along the stems, and its placement along natural waterways which restricts chemical use.

Management calendar

A faded icon means occasionally.

Control options

Chemical

Due to legal requirements the PHBG does not recommend specific herbicides.

Please follow the links below to specific chemical control options for blackberry.

Physical

Mechanical control of blackberry is difficult as the majority of the root system has to be removed to be effective.

biological

Three strains of rust have been released in Western Australia as a biocontrol agent for blackberry.

The last strain was released in 2005 and have been affective against the European Blackberry Rubus anglocandicans but not as effective on the Plains Blackberry Rubus laudatus.