Northern Dewberry

Rubus flagellaris has 4 variants of species that the MN DNR has placed under the flagellaris classification without listing Rubus flagellaris officially, and it is not listed on the MN Wildflower site. Though inclusion of berry shrubs is not the intent of this guide, dewberry presents an interesting addition to the woodland ecosystem that is perhaps not as well known as raspberries or blackberries. Whatever its classification, it does exists and grows prettily just as it is with flowers that appear in June.

At first, I mistook the 3/4 to 1 inch wide, 5-petaled white flowers as flowering wild strawberries. The stems, however, are covered in small thorns and their growth pattern is not clumped like a strawberry’s. Dewberry sends out canes that grow very low to the ground. Given the right conditions, they can grow up to 8 feet long. Fruit is a 1/2″ to 3/4″ long edible berry turning red in July and finally black at maturity when fully ripe.