Blackberry I believe.

Well, if it's blackberry, you just made my day! Going to do some research on how to manage this mess, and get some tasty fruit from it.

Thanks saltcedar!

Suzi

Up here one with this appearance is Rubus armeniacus. In my area it is a major pest - this plant itself will often be what is cleared away to reclaim unused land.

Most species of wild blackberry, also called brambles, are important sources of food and cover for many birds and mammals. Several species, however, are also considered weeds. Two of these are non-natives, cutleaf blackberry, Rubus laciniatus, and Himalaya blackberry, Rubus armeniacus (=R. procerus, R. discolor). Himalaya blackberry is common throughout California, except in deserts, to about 5200 feet (1600 m)

Here is a link that might be useful: UC IPM Online - Wild blackberries

This post was edited by bboy on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 14:12

You are probably right about the variety. I looked at all the photos and the flower most closely matches Rubus armeniacus.

It's definitely a berry and I'm looking forward to making a blackberry pie. Our plant is growing at the end of our concrete driveway in the corner between the drive, a concrete block wall, and a huge granite boulder. It can't travel far due to the nature of it's surroundings. It's literally "between a rock and a hard place!"

Thanks for that link!
Suzi

I'm gonna have to say blackberry because we have blackberry bushes that look just like this!!

Desirai, thank you! This is a very exciting day for me. Like I found a treasure!

What variety do you have? I've been out to look at those canes many times today, and I have found many berries where the petals have fallen off.

Can't wait to taste them!!

Suzi

one thing for sure.. using your words literally ...

you can not 'rip up' a bramble .. ever.... in my world.. its part of the definition.. lol...

any part left.. will be back.. even if it takes a few years ...

i can tell you how to get rid of it.. if that is what you wish.. but then i would have to kill you afterwards.. as it is a secret ...

ken

I am the OP, and I never wanted to rip up this baby! This is the most exciting discovery of this day. Do NOT rain on my parade Ken!

Suzi

Be cautious about letting this develop, up here these sometimes grow over 30' across. The larger canes produce spines that are almost like nails, and rooting at the tips of canes is frequent. And the crowns of well-established specimens may sit in the ground as though cemented in place when you try to dig them out.

Fruits of garden hybrid blackberries suitable for California such as 'Boysen', 'Logan' and 'Marian' are of much better quality.

What about this one?

"between a rock and a hard place!" means nothing to plants like this!

Botanical Rubus fruticosus is the wild/ nativ blackberry ( which seems to grow in Europe, Asia, Africa and northern America), R. armeniacus the garden species, usually sold with named cultivars. I think they have differently shaped canes. They are really hard to ID exactly as they hybridize freely.

If you want to grow them for fruit you should go for a named cultivar.
Apart from that training them to some espalier helps.

After ripping out tons of overgrowth

==>> i see.. i misread the above ...

but again ... a magically appearing bramble??? ...

after a full Id.. insure it is not invasive in your area ...

and.. in my experience.. wild ones.. rarely berry in a good way .. the berries are often seedy.. and extremely bitter ... and of limited production ..... of which you will learn.. when you get your first batch ... and if encouraged.. try to take over the earth ... lol ..

i eventually learned.. to buy good cultivars for such ...many bearing much better quality berries .. in more abundance.. etc ...

good luck

ken

Thanks everyone! This one might not be wild. 2 previous owners lived here prior to us. One went into foreclosure and we got it as a short sale to another pending foreclosure.

Someone could have planted the berry and just let these horrible shrubs cover it up. Once we got those out last summer, the bramble showed. Too late for fruit though. I just wonder, if it is wild, why it's not growing anywhere else on this 1.5 acres bordering the wilderness.

If it's a wild berry, I have memories of Daddy pulling over on trips so we could pick. Yummmmm!

This place had been neglected for many years. We even discovered a Lisbon lemon tree covered by vines. It's full of lemons this year.

I'm going to give it some water and fertilizer and see what it does. Also going to purchase some triple crown thornless for another spot in the yard.

Suzi

It looks quite like Himalayan blackberry, which up here comes up all over.

The fruits of this one - as seen in my area - are not in the top rank, the ones you remember are liable to be a different kind that may have been more appealing.

It seeds heavily, and seeds are readily dispersed by mammals and birds. Seeds can be spread considerable distances by streams and rivers (Parsons 1992). It also spreads vegetatively by rooting of cane tips

Here is a link that might be useful: Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands

This post was edited by bboy on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 11:36

Ken - What is the secret for getting rid of it? I have been ripping it out and cutting it up for 4 days, and I am only 1/2 way done. Our subdivision won't allow me to get a goat, although I am tempted! It is a very steep hill I am clearing, leading down to a creek. I would like to plant something pretty down there but want to make sure the very painful blackberries don't EVER grow back!