Blackberries are a diverse group of fruits belonging to the genus Rubus. There are many species of blackberries, which are widely distributed around the world. Blackberries are perennial plants that typically bear biennial fruits (fruits produced every two years). The blackberry fruit is not a true berry, but an aggregate fruit of many drupelets. Each drupelet is a small, fleshy, seed-containing fruit. The aggregate fruit forms from a flower with numerous stamens that coalesce into a hollow core. The drupelets only develop around the perimeter of this hollow core. The plant produces a cane that can grow to 2–3 m (7–10 ft) in length each year. New stems, called primocanes, grow from the tips of the older canes (called floricanes) and are typically unbranched. As the primocanes mature, they transform into flowering laterals on which the flowers grow. Once the fruit is produced, the lateral (which has now become a floricane) dies. The only major pruning required is the removal of dead canes, weak canes, and suckers.

Blackberries grow best in full sun to partial shade. The root system is shallow and spreading, so the plant does not tolerate drought well. Blackberries are generally considered to be self-fertile, but planting more than one cultivar will improve pollination and fruit set.

The map shows known occurrence points of Rubus fruticosus recorded in scientific biodiversity databases.

Source: GBIF.org — Global Biodiversity Information Facility