Sprawling dewberry facts for kids

The sprawling dewberry (Rubus cubitans) is a very rare plant. It is a type of flowering plant in the rose family. This special plant grows only in Vermont, a state in the northeastern United States.

What is the Sprawling Dewberry?

The sprawling dewberry is a unique plant. It is a biennial plant, which means it lives for two years. In its first year, its stems grow along the ground. They spread out like a mat.

What Does the Sprawling Dewberry Look Like?

Rubus cubitans has stems that usually have very few small thorns. These thorns are called prickles. Its leaves are smooth and do not have hairs. Each leaf is made up of five smaller leaflets. These leaflets spread out like fingers on a hand. This is called a palmately compound leaf.

In its second year, the plant changes. New stems grow straight up from the ground. These stems have a zigzag shape. They also have leaves with three leaflets instead of five. At the top of these upright stems, you will find many flowers. After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is black and round.

Why is the Sprawling Dewberry Special?

The Rubus group of plants, which includes dewberries and blackberries, is very complex. It can be hard for scientists to tell the difference between different species. This is because their genetics are very complicated.

Many Rubus species are rare. They only grow in small areas, just like the sprawling dewberry. Scientists are always studying these plants. They want to understand them better. This helps us protect these special and rare plants.