Allegheny Blackberry

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Rubus is a keystone genus supporting 157 species of butterflies and moths as larval hosts in the ecoregion. The genus ranks among the top wildlife plants in eastern North America, providing caterpillar food for species from large silkmoths (Hyalophora cecropia, Automeris io) to specialist geometrids and noctuids. The dense thickets also furnish critical nesting cover and escape habitat for birds and small mammals.
S13 157 lepidoptera; S10 high ecological value; S72 wildlife habitat
🐛 Larval Host: Habrosyne scripta, Scopula limboundata, Pyrrharctia isabella, Synchlora aerata, Hyles lineata, Xanthotype sospeta, Acronicta funeralis, Paonias excaecatus, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma
S13+S15 14 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena melanochroa
S17 Rosaceae pollen specialist; range CT-GA-MA-MD-ME-NC-NH-NJ-NY-VA-WV
❄️ Winter Food Source: American Robin feeds on Rubus allegheniensis fruit (40% diet occurrence). While blackberry fruit ripens in summer and does not persist into deep winter, dried or late-hanging drupes provide food for early-winter songbirds, and the dense thorny thickets offer protective cover for overwintering wildlife.
S57 American Robin 40% diet occurrence; S72 bird fruit services; S10 fruits important food source for songbirds and gamebirds

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in Canada (N5). Ranked S5 in Ontario and S4 in Quebec. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Common throughout its range in both provinces with no conservation concerns.
S22 G5, N5, S5-ON, S4-QC; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Allegheny blackberry is a common pioneer shrub of forest edges, clearings, old fields, roadsides, and disturbed woodlands across the Ottawa Valley. It thrives on dry to mesic upland sites, forming dense thickets along woodland margins, in logged areas, and on burned-over ground. Associates include Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, Fraxinus americana, and Comptonia peregrina on well-drained loamy to rocky soils.
S10 dry-mesic prairie edges, open woodlands, disturbed areas; S7 savannas, forests, forest edges, dry uplands; S61 forest edges, meadows and fields; S4 dry upland pastures, open woods

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 78 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 7-2, pp. 116, 149)]
Notes: A vigorous thicket-former best placed at forest edges, hedgerow plantings, or wildlife corridors where its aggressive spread is an asset rather than a liability. The thorny canes create effective deer exclusion zones around establishing trees, while the prolific fruit production draws birds and mammals. Suckering habit means it should be sited where containment is acceptable or desired.
S29 running thicket former, suckering roots; S10 can become aggressive; S72 wildlife habitat; S4 thorns

Category: Antidiarrheal, Astringent, Antirheumatic, Tonic, Stimulant, Ophthalmic, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid, Respiratory Aid, Diuretic
S28 Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois, Menominee uses; S29 PFAF medicinal rating 2/5
Notes: Roots used extensively by Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois, and Menominee peoples. Root infusion taken for diarrhea, stomach complaints, colds, coughs, rheumatism, and tuberculosis. Chippewa women used root infusion to prevent miscarriage. Menominee used root wash for sore eyes. Cherokee chewed root for coated tongue and used bark infusion for urinary troubles. Iroquois applied root poultice to newborn's navel and used compound as snuff for headaches and catarrh.
S28 42 medicinal/drug uses across 4 nations; S29 roots antihaemorrhoidal, astringent, tonic

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Fruit eaten raw, cooked, or dried for winter use. Berries have a pleasant sweet and somewhat spicy flavour, about 12 mm in diameter and up to 3 cm long. Young shoots can be peeled and eaten raw in spring salads. Cherokee used fruit fresh and as juice; Chippewa dried fruit for winter provisions. Parent of many named cultivated blackberry varieties.
S29 fruit raw/cooked/dried, young shoots in salads; S28 Cherokee fruit and beverage, Chippewa dried fruit