Let the Feasting Begin: Blackberry - Rubus allegheniensis - Mûre

So for those wondering about the general dearth of posts from me in the last week or so, a quick recapitulation: I was working full-time while packing up to move. Then I was moving. Then I was getting settled and unpacked.

I have relocated from Montreal in preparation for beginning an MSc Biology (pollination ecology) in September. I am now residing in Ottawa, but for the month of August I will be staying at the lake in the Upper Gatineau (I challenge anyone, when given the choice to either hang out in Ottawa or at a lake, to choose differently).

I will still post about things found in Montreal, with photos already taken or new photos when I go to visit my husband, but for the month of August at least you can anticipate that my photos will be primarily from this region.

Such as the ones for today. One of the first things I did upon settling in was to evaluate the state of the various wild fruits in the area. A quick reconnaissance along the road to a few known blackberry areas yielded a few fruits just starting to turn. Blackberry season is starting, and they are absolutely magnificent this year.

Most of the plants around here are Rubus allegheniensis (alleghany blackberry, common blackberry), with a couple of Rubus flagellaris (Northern dewberry, Northern blackberry) thrown in here and there -- it looks a bit different in the leaves and fruit but the most obvious difference at least around here is its low growth habit (R. flagellaris seems to keep a very low profile, often below knee height, but long and creeping). R. allegheniensis is native to Ontario and Quebec, introduced to BC, and it has an unknown status in Newfoundland & Labrador [1]. It is native to much of the Eastern US and one Western US state [2] (US range map here, Canada range map here). The species is secure in all of its Canadian range [1], is unlisted in the US [2], and is globally a species of least concern [3].

Rubus allegheniensis flower

R. allegheniensis is a member of the Rosaceae (rose family), a group of plants I have mentioned quite a few times before. The flower above shows the distinctive 5-petaled flower common in this family. In fact, the cane berries, as well as a few others, are all members not just of this family but of the genus Rubus, which is a group of plants which produce aggregate fruit which are composed of drupelets. An aggregate fruit is a fruit which is formed by the fusion of multiple ovaries (as opposed to each ovary developing into a single fruit), and a drupelet is a small fruit with a 'stone' (a seed surrounded by a hard shell). So plants of the genus Rubus produce fruits that look like a collection of bubbles stuck together.

Rubus allegheniensis - aggregate fruit composed of drupelets

These fruit are absolutely delicious. They are certainly my favourite of the cane berries and they compete very hard with strawberries to be my favourite fruit.

Rubus allegheniensis - typical bush this year, absolutely laden with ripening fruit

They are coming into season now in the Upper Gatineau. I have many plans for them, which I may post about again in the next few days.

We went up Mont Cayamant yesterday, and I got a great shot of Lac Cayamant from the top which I think people may enjoy:

View of Lac Cayamant from the Mont Cayamant lookout tower

The weather has been very changeable in the last week. This shot really shows it; it is sunny, but there are many areas obviously shaded, and it's even raining on the right-hand side. A very mixed sky indeed. It was a lovely walk punctuated with delicious blackberries!

Native Edibles : Flowering Raspberry - Rubus odoratus - Ronce odorante

Blooming right now are a number of the cane berries, a variety of species in the very large and economically important genus Rubus, which is in the family Rosaceae (rose family).

This genus has distinctive fruits which are aggregates (clusters that are kind of stuck together) of drupelets (fruit that consist of a fleshy layer surrounding a pit, which is composed of a shell exterior and a seed inside). This genus includes blackberries, raspberries, other cane fruit, and the star of the day: Rubus odoratus (flowering raspberry).

Rubus odoratus inflorescence

Rubus odoratus is native to North America, but has spread beyond its native range. Originally found in Ontario & Quebec [1], and in the eastern US [2], it is now also found in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick [1]. This species' conservation status is secure in its Canadian range [1], but it is endangered in Illinois and threatened in Tennessee [2].

I have posted about this plant before, but not in much detail.

Rubus odoratus broader view

Rubus odoratus has been introduced to Europe and is considered naturalized to several areas there now [3,4]. It success in areas outside of its native range is potentially attributable to some weedy characteristics, notably its seed set, which is large and composed of small, easily dispersed seed, and its rapid vegetative growth [5]. It was likely brought to areas outside of its range for its ornamental value [3]: it has large, attractive maple-like leaves and a long flowering period [3,6].

I cannot find much information about its pollination, but one usually reliable source indicates that this plant is of special value to pollinators (especially native bees), attracting large numbers of native bees, bumble bees, and honey bees, and that it provides shelter or nesting sites to some species of native bee [6].

Rubus odoratus visited by a Bombus sp. worker - note how full her pollen baskets are! She must have returned to the colony shortly after I took this shot to deliver her haul

I am in disagreement with several sources that state that the fruit of this plant is flavourless [5] or insipid [6]. I find the fruit tasty, if dry and a bit fuzzy on the tongue.

Ornamentals Bonanza

I don't only photograph native plants or plants that I know a lot about. Sometimes I just like to take photos of some pretty ornamentals. So I've decided to create a dedicated post for some of the photos I've taken of some local ornamentals in bloom.

Forsythia sp.

First up, we have some Forsythia sp. bushes. This is a very popular ornamental shrub, introduced in North America; most species are from Asia but one is from Europe and I don't know how to tell which species I'm dealing with. Forsythia sp. are members of the Oleaceae (olive family), and display some of the distinctive characteristics thereof: highly numerous, heavily scented flowers (the scent of the shrub was hard to describe -- not sweet, but strong); they are mostly woody plants; they have a number of floral characteristics that can be read about on the wikipedia page for Oleaceae.

Forsythia sp.

Forsythia sp.'s ornamental appeal is of course in the dense floral display in early spring. The shrub blooms rather riotously before the formation of the leaves.

Glechoma hederacea

Next up, a tiny plant I have seen in the cemeteries, which I believe to be tiny possibly as a result of regular mowing. It generally fits the description of Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy & many other names). If anybody knows different, I would be happy to hear from you! 

Glechoma hederacea

G. hederacea is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint family) native to Europe and transported to North America by European settlers. It is considered naturalized here and identified as a weed in many places. Note that it is not listed on the CWF website for invasive species in Canada.

Malus sp.

And of course the Malus spp. (crab apples) are hard to miss, blooming in great profusion right now. They are very dramatic and wonderfully scented.

Malus sp.

There is a fair amount of variation in the flower colour for Malus sp., and a huge variety of them are found in the Mont-Royal Cemetery, including this dark pink type:

Malus sp. dark pink variety

Malus sp. dark pink variety

There were also quite a few lighter pink varieties like the ones below:

Malus sp. lighter pink variety

Malus sp. lighter pink variety

There also were some individuals, unfortunately too tall, which appeared to have red-tinted leaves as well as very dark reddish flowers, and many other variations besides. I don't know how much of the variation is attributable to species vs individual difference.

Malus spp. are native to the northern hemisphere, but I cannot identify each species enough to determine whether it's native to the Montreal region or not. They are members of the Rosaceae (rose family) and exhibit some of the distinctive characteristics of this family: radial symmetry of flowers, 5 petals, 5 sepals, spiral arrangement of stamens. This family's members are often very showy. It is also an economically important family, counting among its members the majority of pit fruit (eg apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots) and many nuts (eg almonds).

Syringa vulgaris

And of course, the Syringa vulgaris (common lilac) have started to bloom. This species, like Malus spp, is very hard to miss due to its showy floral display and wonderful scent.

S. vulgaris inflorescence

This species is native to the Balkan Peninsula and has been introduced all over the world as an ornamental. In North America it is considered an introduced but non-invasive species, as it does not spread excessively or overtake native plants. When it is found in the wild, it is usually on former sites of human habitation where it was deliberately planted.

S. vulgaris

Like Forsythia spp, S. vulgaris is a member of the Oleaceae (olive family) and exhibits some of the family's distinctive traits, including the heavy scent, numerous flowers, woody structure, and common floral characteristics.

I don't bother to pick these anymore, but sometimes I take photos just so that I can prove that I've still got it. I seem to have particularly good pattern recognition software in my brain, because I have always been able to spot 4-leaf clovers at a glance. Here's a photo of one I noticed on one of my walks:

Four-leaf clover - clearly the victim of some insect predation

I believe that my ability comes from simple exposure; I spent an enormous amount of my time as a child foraging, and just wandering in the woods with my forester/naturalist father who would happily tell me what I was looking at. The ability is much broader than simple 4-leaf clover spotting; it extends to identifying and classifying all sorts of plants, spotting unassuming/subtle/camouflaged plants and animals, and to spotting illness/damage/infection/infestation in plants, and so comes in very handy for me in the field.

It has so far been a gorgeous spring.