Blackberries grow on brambles native to the Northern Hemisphere. These thorny brambles, which are part of the Rosaceae (rose) family, usually are about 5 feet tall. They are not considered trees. Red mulberry trees are sometimes mistakenly referred to as blackberry trees. That is because they bear a black fruit that resembles the blackberry, according to the Miami University Department of Botany.
Fruit Blackberry brambles grow quickly and spread to their full height the first year. Flowers are white or pale pink with five petals and appear in late spring and early summer. Botanically speaking, the fruit is not a berry, but an ''aggregate fruit.'' Its ''drupelets'' are black or dark purple in color. The fruit is sweetest after it changes from shiny to dull.
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Care Unmanaged blackberry plants form a tangle of branches, some of which arch to the ground and form new roots. They grow quickly, often in woods and along hillsides.
They thrive even in poor soil, but fruit production will decline if they are not pruned annually. The branches, or canes, should be pruned after they've finished producing fruit.
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