How to Buy Wild Blackberry Bushes

Wild blackberries make an excellent topping

There are more than 400 species of blackberries in North America according to Richard Ashton, the author of several books on fruit growing including "The Incredible Pomegranate - Plant and Fruit." Wild blackberries, also called brambles, tend to be more trailing, while cultivated blackberries have thicker, stronger erect stems called canes. Hybrid varieties have also been developed which have larger plumper berries. Some species are even thornless. Some wild blackberry species, like the Himalaya, are considered pests because they can become invasive and smother existing plant growth. Wild blackberries are an excellent food source for birds and other small animals, as well as for people who carefully harvest the wild berries while avoiding pricks from the sharp thorns.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic Bag
• Plastic Tote
• Gardening Gloves

Instructions

1. Contact your local or statewide Agricultural and Natural Resources department (click on the link in the Resources section below), to find out which species of wild blackberry bushes will make good candidates for your area and are not considered an invasive pest.

2. Contact your local nurseries or home and garden centers to see if they carry any wild blackberry bushes. If they do carry wild blackberry bushes, you might find that they only carry them during the right season in your area for planting. Get the information on when the nursery carries the wild blackberry bushes and mark the shopping date on a calendar.

3. If the local nursery and garden centers do not carry wild blackberry bushes at all, search through newspaper ads or using the Internet to see if there is a native plant nursery or an edible plant nursery in your city, county, or state. Usually plants sold locally, or in the same zone, or in your state will adjust easier.

4. Try finding the wild blackberry bushes you desire by posting a wanted ad on a gardening forum. Garden sites that provide forums like organicgardening.com, davesgarden.com, backyardchickens.com have areas for plant exchange and seed swapping. Some websites offer a virtual bulletin board where you can post a wanted ad or find another gardener willing to sell and ship their wild blackberry bushes to you.

5. Consider purchasing cuttings if you are planting a large area with wild blackberry bushes to reduce your costs. Many times cuttings are more affordable than large blackberry bushes as well as easier to handle when transporting and planting. However, cuttings might not bud or produce berries for one or two years.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to bring a several plastic bags or a plastic tote to hold the blackberry bushes or stems with root balls during transport to prevent them from spilling or breaking.

• Use thick gardening gloves to handle the wild blackberry bushes because the wild varieties have thorns.

References

• Blackberries - Excellent Description of Varieties
• Wild Blackberry Management Guidelines - University of California
• Wild Blackberry Thread on Backyardchickens.com

Resources

• Texas Blackberries & Blackberry Recipes
• History of Blackberry Plants