“Trailing Blackberry, Pacific Blackberry – Rubus ursinus” by Terry Howes, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Hul'q'umi'num' name:

sqw’il’muhw

English Name:

Trailing Blackberry

Alternative English Names:

Pacific Blackberry, Blackberry

Scientific Name:

Rubus ursinus

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Description

Description, Habitat, Ecology, Distribution

This is the only native blackberry species in British Columbia. It is a low, trailing plant with deciduous leaves and white to pink flowers that produce the small blackberry fruits. It is common in disturbed sites and dry, open forests from low to middle elevations throughout the southern two-thirds of Vancouver Island and the southern coast of the province. sqw’il’muhw is also used to refer to the introduced Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)

Island Cultural Role

The fruits are edible and the leaves, after they have turned reddish, may be used to make a tea. This plant grows abundantly where fires have occurred.

Language

Hul'q'umi'num' Name

sqw’il’muhw

APA

sq̓ʷi:l̓məxʷ

Speaker

Delores Louie

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Photos