This is growing in my front yard bed under a crepe myrtle. Looks like a weed at first. I have always pulled it up in the spring, but this year I didn’t. Very prickly, but has berries. Not sure if they are edible or poisonous. Neighbors suspect blackberry. Thanks for any help you can give.
Rosie H
Hi Rosie,
The ripe fruits of this plant are certanly edible – the black ones. I would call it a dewberry because the stems are trailing rather than bushy. It is a native plant – Rubus trivialis. They can be used in any way a blackberry can. I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Steve Hill – South Carolina Native Plant Society
Dr. Steven R. Hill
Botanist
University of Illinois
Champaign, IL