Blanchard’s Dewberry: A Mysterious Native Treasure
Meet Blanchard’s dewberry (Rubus blanchardianus), quite possibly one of the most enigmatic native plants you’ll encounter in American gardening. This perennial shrub belongs to the beloved Rubus genus, home to raspberries, blackberries, and their trailing cousins. But here’s where things get interesting—and a bit mysterious.
What Makes This Dewberry Special
Blanchard’s dewberry is a low-growing shrub that stays delightfully compact, typically under 1.5 feet tall and never exceeding 3 feet at maturity. This makes it quite different from its more rambunctious bramble relatives that can take over entire hillsides. As a native species to the lower 48 states, it represents part of our continent’s natural heritage.
Where You’ll Find It (Or Won’t)
Here’s where our dewberry mystery deepens. Current records show Blanchard’s dewberry growing in Vermont, though its native range may have historically been broader. This extremely limited distribution is one of several red flags that make this plant particularly special—and concerning.
The Rarity Reality Check
Before you start dreaming of adding this unique dewberry to your garden, there’s something crucial you need to know. Blanchard’s dewberry appears to have an undefined conservation status, which in the plant world often signals serious rarity concerns. This isn’t your typical hard to find at the nursery situation—we’re talking about a plant that may be genuinely rare in the wild.
Important: If you’re considering growing this species, responsible sourcing is absolutely critical. Never collect from wild populations, and only obtain plants from reputable native plant suppliers who can verify their propagation methods and source ethics.
The Growing Challenge
Here’s where gardeners might feel a bit frustrated: detailed growing information for Blanchard’s dewberry is surprisingly scarce. We know it’s a perennial that shares the Rubus family traits, but specifics about preferred growing conditions, soil requirements, sun exposure, and USDA hardiness zones aren’t well-documented in readily available sources.
This lack of cultivation information actually tells us something important—this plant likely hasn’t been widely studied or grown, further supporting concerns about its rarity.
Should You Grow It?
This is where responsible gardening ethics come into play. While supporting native plants is always admirable, extremely rare species require extra consideration:
- Only if responsibly sourced: Never attempt to grow this species unless you can verify it came from ethical propagation
- Consider alternatives: Other native Rubus species like common dewberry (Rubus flagellaris) might provide similar ecological benefits with less conservation concern
- Support conservation: If you’re interested in rare natives, consider supporting botanical gardens or conservation organizations working to preserve them
The Bottom Line
Blanchard’s dewberry represents one of those fascinating botanical puzzles that remind us how much we still don’t know about our native flora. While its compact growth habit and native status make it theoretically appealing for gardens, its apparent rarity means most gardeners should appreciate it from afar and focus on better-documented native alternatives.
If you’re drawn to native dewberries, explore the more common species that can provide similar low-growing, fruiting benefits without conservation concerns. Sometimes the best way to honor a rare plant is to give it space to recover while we support its more abundant relatives.
Remember: in the world of native gardening, being a good steward sometimes means saying not yet to our wishlist plants.
