Description
Native to Asia, the Himalayan blackberry is an evergreen shrub with canes covered in thorns and berries that are edible for humans. It can grow in a variety of environments and often is found along roadsides, riverbanks, parks, and other disturbed areas. Himalayan blackberry shades out smaller, native species, reducing native plant and wildlife diversity. Its extensive stands can decrease usable pasture, limit animals’ access to water, and trap young livestock. Blackberry fruit can be a food source to invasive birds and mammals such as European starlings and rats.
The Himalayan Blackberry was accidently released from an experimental nursery in 1885, where it quickly spread from California to Alaska. In Washington State, the Himalayan Blackberry is considered an aggressive invasive species and is a nuisance to many Washington State homeowners. It can rapidly spread through vegetative reproduction by rooting stems and fragments, produce large quantities of seeds dispersed by animals, form dense thickets that outcompete native plants for sunlight and nutrients, and its thorny canes hinder wildlife movement, making it difficult to control and causing significant ecological disruption in affected areas.
Himalayan Blackberry produces long, arching canes with numerous sharp thorns, which can root at the tips, creating new plants and expanding the patch rapidly, the berries are readily consumed by animals, facilitating seed dispersal over large distances. Himalayan blackberry can thrive in a variety of habitats, including disturbed areas, forest edges, and riparian zones.
Popular uses
Despite their invasive nature, Himalayan Blackberries have a number of popular uses, both medicinal and recreational. On the medicinal side, the leaves and root can be dried and ground as tea to treat diarrhea. The leaves ground to a paste can treat mouth ulcers (Canker sores) and hemorrhoids. On the recreational side, the berries are sought after in the late summer for eating, making pies and deserts, as well as making jams and wine.
Control and eradication
Control and eradication of Himalayan Blackberries is often difficult but with patience, is manageable. The species has the ability to regenerate from small root fragments. The fastest and most effective method of control is to physically remove the bushes from the ground by the roots, taking care to remove the root crowns from the ground as much as possible.
Depending on how established the blackberry is on your property, small shoots may re-emerge later, which can be removed with a shovel or sprayed with brush killer.
Other methods of control include regular mowing or trimming, which will disrupt the photosynthesis of the plant, which will weaken it and prevent it from spreading. This method is popular in areas where control, not eradication is acceptable.
Another method of control is use of brush killer herbicide. Simply spraying the herbicide on the plant is rarely effective, instead, trim or mow the brush, which will expose the canes. Treat the open cut blackberry canes with the brush killer, which will be absorbed by the plant and will kill the root. If wide spraying of herbicide is unwanted, purchase a larger dauber bottle from Amazon and fill it with the brush killer mixed as per the instructions and dab the brush killer on the open canes. This will selectively kill the roots without over-spraying. This method of eradication will leave unsightly dead canes in the ground and may not be the desired method in main yard areas as the area will need to be cleared if you wish to re-purpose it for lawn/garden uses.
Graystone Tractor Services is well experienced in removal and control of Himalayan Blackberries in Western Washington. Our brush removal services are very effective and available to most communities in Northwestern Washington State from Blaine to Shoreline. We also offer brush mowing services for fields and not critical areas. Call or text us at (360) 542-6460 or fill out our free estimate request form.