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Rubus cockburnianus (F)

white-stemmed bramble

A thicket-forming shrub which has arching prickly shoots with a brilliant white bloom in winter. Pinnate leaves 20cm long with lance-shaped leaflets are dark green above and white-hairy beneath. Racemes of saucer-shaped purple flowers 1cm across are followed by rounded unpalatable black fruits

Synonyms
Rubus giraldianus

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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Purple Green Black
Autumn Green
Winter White
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Suckering
Genus

Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits

Name status

Correct

Plant range
N and C China

How to grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow in well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in summer or hardwood and root cuttings in early winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Banks and slopes
Pruning

Pruning group 7

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)

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