There are three species of blackberry that are native to central Florida and grow wild throughout the area. All have delicious berries for humans and wildlife. Our native Florida blackberries are maintenance free, have beautiful blooms, provide food for a variety of wildlife and also provide shelter for those wildlife.
In central Florida our three native blackberries are Rubus cuneifolius (sand blackberry), Rubus pensilvanicus (sawtooth blackberry) and Rubus trivialis (southern blackberry).
Blackberries are in the Rosaceae or rose family.
Blackberries start to bloom in late winter and are a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. In late winter once the days start to become longer blackberries start their process of flowering and setting fruit. They continue to bloom throughout the year and slow down once the heat of summer sets in. It is not unusual to find a few blooms on the plants while the fruit is in various stages of ripening.
Blackberry flowers range in color from white to pink and have five petals. The small flowers are quite beautiful and in late winter, when little else is blooming, they are a welcome sight for gardeners and insects alike. The flowers are a very important source of nectar for bees and butterflies because during the late winter little else is blooming. As soon as the first bloom opens a bee will alight upon it for its first sip of nectar after a long, hard, winter of scarce nectar sources.
Once the bees, and butterflies, have pollinated the blossoms the fruit starts to grow and ripen. By late spring the blackberries begin to turn red and then dark purple with a plethora of hungry residents waiting.
Blackberries are one of the most important food sources for wildlife in the summer. A variety of blackberry can be found in just about every habitat in central Florida. So a wide range of wildlife consumes the fruit. Fruit is even consumed on into winter when little is left except dried or damaged berries. Just about every species of wildlife enjoys, and relies, upon blackberries as a food source … from songbirds to the Florida black bear.
Blackberry patches, with their thorny growth, also provide protective cover for songbirds to nest in and a safe haven for rabbits. An added bonus to the wildlife is that while it is nesting or hiding from predation it has food to snack on. Even during the winter when the plants are dormant rabbits will eat the stalks to sustain themselves. During the growing season songbirds eat the berries and rabbits eat the leaves, shoots and stalks. Deer also browse on blackberry foliage.
Distinguishing the different varieties is based on habitat, habit or growing structure, and leaf structure.