Rubus pensilvanicus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rubus pensilvanicus |
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Rubus
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pensilvanicus
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The Rubus pensilvanicus, also known as the Pennsylvania blackberry, is a common plant found across eastern and central North America. It grows from Newfoundland in the north, all the way down to Georgia in the south. You can also find it as far west as Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Arkansas. This plant has even made its way to California and now grows there naturally.
This blackberry is a type of prickly bramble. A bramble is a shrub with long, flexible stems that often have thorns or prickles.
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What Does the Pennsylvania Blackberry Look Like?
The Pennsylvania blackberry is a shrub that can grow quite tall, sometimes up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) high.
Stems and Prickles
Its stems, called canes, start out green. As they get older, they turn a dark red color. These canes usually have ridges and are covered in many straight, sharp prickles. These prickles help protect the plant from animals that might want to eat it.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are special. They are palmately compound, which means they look a bit like the palm of your hand with fingers spreading out. Each leaf usually has 5 or 7 smaller parts called leaflets.
In the middle of spring, the plant produces beautiful white flowers. These flowers have large petals, making them easy to spot.
Fruits
After the flowers bloom, the plant grows its fruits. These are the delicious blackberries we know! Each fruit is actually made up of many tiny, juicy parts called drupelets. A single Pennsylvania blackberry can have anywhere from 10 to 100 of these black drupelets. They are somewhat sweet and are often picked to make tasty jams and jellies.
Many Kinds of Blackberries
The world of Rubus plants, which includes all blackberries and raspberries, is very complex. There are so many different types that it can be hard for scientists to tell them apart and decide if they are separate species or just variations of the same one. What some experts call Rubus pensilvanicus, others might see as many different kinds of blackberries! This shows how diverse and interesting the plant kingdom can be.
