Flower profile
Armenian blackberry
Rubus armeniacus
Armenian blackberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in April–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Rubus armeniacus, the giant blackberry, Armenian blackberry, or sometimes, misleadingly, "Himalayan blackberry", is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia and northwestern Iran, and widely invasive elsewhere. Both its scientific name and origin have been the subject of much confusion.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 10,082 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #93 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Armenian blackberry gift ideas
Handmade armenian blackberry gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Armenian blackberry art print
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Armenian blackberry greeting card
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Armenian blackberry mug
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Armenian blackberry earrings
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Armenian blackberry embroidery pattern
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Armenian blackberry sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in April–August.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Rubus pedatus (“Creeping Rubus”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records armenian blackberry in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington; District of Columbia.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUAR9.
- iNaturalist, Rubus armeniacus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Rubus armeniacus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Rubus armeniacus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Chuck Wilson via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.