Bill's Botanical Forays

Today, while on South Tract of the refuge I found another species of Dewberry. It is known as Swamp Dewberry (Rubus hispidus L.) and is also called Bristly Dewberry due to its presence of numerous bristles throughout the plant. The prickles that are present are generally less than 2 to 4 mm long and weak. Swamp Dewberry may be a slight misnomer, although it is frequently found in swampy habitats, it is also found in drier habitats as well. Its native range is Central and Eastern North America from Ontario and the Maritime Provinces on the North to Texas and South Carolina on the South.

Besides have more bristles than prickles, it differs from the other two dewberry species known to occur on the Refuge – Northern Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris) and Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivalis) with its leaflet tips being blunter/more obtuse and more flowers and later fruits per flowering stem.  Its flowers are smaller on the average than the other dewberries.

They are in full bloom on the refuge in open areas such as the powerline right-of-ways and in swales and ditches along side roads. It can also be found in wet woods.