Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Rubus

Species:

Rubus canadensis

USDA Symbol:

RUCA16

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Subshrub

Height:

300 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, bees, butterflies

Fall Color:

red, yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown following fire. Often colonizes burned or disturbed areas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic matter-rich environments

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–120 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Requires warm stratification (90 days) followed by cold stratification (90 days). Scarification improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI