Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Rubus

Species:

Rubus cuneifolius

USDA Symbol:

RUCU

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Subshrub

Height:

150 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

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, butterflies, bees

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown following fire. Common in fire-maintained sandhills and pine savannas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

commonly found in sandy pine barrens

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Scarification followed by cold stratification improves germination. Germination can be erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI