Black Raspberry

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Rubus is a keystone genus supporting 157 species of butterflies and moths as a caterpillar host plant in the ecoregion. The dense thicket-forming habit provides essential nesting habitat and protective cover for songbirds (notably Field Sparrow), small mammals, and invertebrates. The genus ranks among the top wildlife-supporting woody plants in eastern North America.
S13 157 lepidoptera; S10 nesting habitat for Field Sparrow; 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 specialist including Rubus; range CT-GA-MA-MD-ME-NC-NH-NJ-NY-VA-WV
❄️ Winter Food Source: Rubus fruits are consumed by at least 55 bird species documented in the Avian Diet Database, including Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and various thrushes. Mammals including Black Bear, Gray Fox, Red Fox, raccoon, chipmunks, and deer mice also rely on the fruit. Dense prickly thickets provide critical winter cover and nesting structure for overwintering birds.
S57 55 bird species; S10 mammal list; S72 wildlife habitat

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: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec, indicating limited populations provincially, while S5 (Secure) in Ontario and G5 globally. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. The Quebec vulnerability likely reflects the species nearing its northeastern range limit, with most Canadian populations concentrated in southern Ontario and the St. Lawrence corridor.
S22 S3 QC, S5 ON, G5 global; S26 SARA not listed; S1 QC native
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Black raspberry occupies a disturbance-adapted niche in openings of deciduous woodlands, forest borders, thickets, fence rows, and stream banks across the Mixed Wood Shield and Great Lakes regions. It thrives in rich loamy soils at woodland edges and savannas, tolerating a range from dry to mesic conditions. In the Outaouais, herbarium specimens from Hull, ile Marguerite (Gatineau River), and Pontiac document its presence in rocky, sandy, and alluvial habitats.
S10 woodland borders, savanna, thickets; S7 forests, fencerows; S48 Gatineau specimens; S62 Uncommon in Ottawa

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, 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)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 7-2, pp. 116, 149)]
Notes: Rubus species serve as effective ground cover preventing soil erosion and provide habitat and food for wildlife and beneficial insects in agroforestry systems. The thorny thickets create natural barrier plantings. Listed by Hemenway as a wildlife habitat plant suitable for the low tree/shrub layer in food forest guilds. Best sited at woodland edges or in hedgerow plantings where the aggressive suckering habit is an asset rather than a management challenge.
S29 agroforestry ground cover, erosion control, barrier; S72 wildlife habitat, low tree layer (tables 10-1, 7-2)

Category: Analgesic, Antidiarrheal, Antirheumatic, Astringent, Cathartic, Cough Medicine, Dermatological Aid, Emetic, Eye Medicine, Gastrointestinal Aid, Gynecological Aid, Toothache Remedy
S28 Moerman 27 Drug + 3 Medicine uses across Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois
Notes: Roots and root bark widely used by Cherokee, Chippewa, and Iroquois peoples. Cherokee used root decoctions as cathartics, thorny branches to scratch rheumatic joints, and leaf infusions as astringent washes for sores and boils. Root chewed for cough and toothache. Chippewa used root decoctions for back pain, sore eyes, and gynecological complaints. Iroquois used root preparations as antidiarrheals. PFAF confirms roots as cathartic, root bark infusion for diarrhea and dysentery, and leaf tea as astringent wash. Health Canada NHPID lists species under Antioxidants monograph.
S28 Cherokee, Chippewa, Iroquois uses; S29 cathartic, astringent, diarrhea; S36 NHPID Antioxidants

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Fruit eaten raw or cooked in pies, preserves, and jellies. Quality is variable, with the finest forms having a rich, tangy flavour. Young shoots can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked like rhubarb in spring. Tea is made from the leaves and from bark of the root. Cherokee, Chippewa, and Dakota peoples used the fruit fresh, dried for winter storage, and in beverages.
S29 fruit, shoots, tea; S28 Cherokee, Chippewa, Dakota food uses; S11 Palatable Human=Yes