Himalayan blackberry

Ah, my old friend.

I have fond memories, every summer of my life, of picking these plump delicious berries. The ripe ones have a particular sheen to them, not at all like the over or under ripe ones that you do not want to pop into your mouth. The perfectly ripe ones, though, yes. Especially on a sunny day, when they are warm.

Today is not a day for fond memories, but it's one to remember regardless.

As delicious as Himalayan blackberries are, the plant is invasive and creates a monoculture, pushing out native species. It is difficult to remove and grows very quickly. It is to be fought with whenever possible, lest it take over every scrap of land it can reach.

We have a lot of it on our property.

Every year I fight a new war. Some years I win, most years the blackberries do. This year I am getting started early.

I've created a pile as big as my front lawn already, and I've only gotten about half of it. My hands and forearms are covered in tiny cuts and punctures from the nasty thorns, and I have a blister from using my bypass pruners too much. But it will be well worth it to uncover the azaleas, rhododendrons, junipers, monkey tree, and the salal it has been trying to choke out for the last few years. It already looks better!

After photos to follow, eventually. I want to keep track of how beautiful those spots will be this spring and summer, to motivate me later on, when cutting it back will be even harder!

A monkey tree and a rhododendron with Himalyan blackberry mixed in. Photo taken November 2024.

A monkey tree with Himalayan blackberry and salmonberry mixed in. This whole area looks way better now! Photo taken November 2024.