Practical
Plants

Rubus tricolor

Creeping Bramble

an evergreen fruit shrub or creeper of the Rubus genus in the family Rosaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

A fairly prostrate evergreen Asian shrub, the Chinese bramble grows at least 60cm (2') high and spreads up to 2m (6'6") per year. It can get higher as it arches over itself and/or other shrubs. [1] (206). It lives on steep banks and in scrub on mountains to 3000 metres as well as slopes, forests and thickets at elevations of 1800 - 3600 metres in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Rubus
Habit
shrub, vine
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.3 (unit unspecified)
Spread
2 (unit unspecified)
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Cooked, Fresh
Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Jam

Material uses

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

'It is too vigorous for small gardens but makes a great cover for larger areas [and] tolerates foot traffic [....] Maintenance consists of two jobs: 1) keeping the cover low enough to enable easy passage of foot traffic [...] and 2) stopping it spreading further than you want.' [1] (206). It's a good vigorous groundcover plant for sun or shade. [4][10][12]

Environment

Range
E. Asia - W. China.
Habitat
Steep banks and in scrub on mountains to 3000 metres[7]. Slopes, forests and thickets at elevations of 1800 - 3600 metres in Sichuan and Yunnan[13].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
deep shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Wind
No
Maritime
No
Pollution
No
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Native Environment
Steep banks, mountain scrub, Slopes, forests, thickets

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

seed

layering

Seed - requires stratification, is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as early as possible in the year in a cold frame and stratify for a month at 3°c if sowing later than February. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring. This vigorous plant spreads well and is most easily propagated through tip layering and division.

Seed Requires Scarification
No
Seed Requires Smokification
No
Seed Requires Stratification
Yes
Seed Dormancy Depth
intermediate

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[2][4][10]. Plants grow best in part or full shade[6] and also succeed in dry shade[8]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[8]. Hardy to about -15°c[7]. Plants are evergreen but may be deciduous in severe winters[11]. A fast growing plant, the stems can grow by up to 2 metres per year[7][8]. It grows strongly but requires weeding for the first year or so[9]. New roots are formed at intervals along the stem[11]. It can swamp smaller plants but works very well in combination with trees and tall plants.

Problems, pests and diseases

Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[10].

  • {{Plant has problem|type=fungus|name=Honey Fungus|identification=As the name suggests Honey fungus is a fungus. It exists primarily on dead plant material
  • but can also become a parasite feeding on live plant and tree roots. It attacks a wide variety of plant life ranging from trees to bulbs. The first symptom you will probably notice with plants and trees affected by Honey Fungus is general ill-health. Leaves do not grow so well
  • are discoloured and fruit is small. Surprisingly
  • flowering plants may produce larger than normal flowers immediately before they die back completely. Then you will notice white to cream honey-coloured growths of the Honey Fungus appearing in the soil around the base of the plant / tree - see the above picture. These growths are fan-shaped.When you pull the plant up
  • there will probably be dark brown rhizomorphs which look like brown to black root-like growths which resemble bootlaces. In advanced cases these root-like growths appear above the soil level. In many cases
  • beneath the bark of the trunk and branches you will see white mycelium. These form a thin creamy-white layer with a strong mushroom smell.|prevention=Honey Fungus is caused by direct contact with the roots of an infected plant or tree. It is also caused by the rhizomorphs (see above for explanation) spreading underground from the infected plants to other healthy plants.Some plants are more vulnerable to catching Honey Fungus whilst others are relatively resistant to it. The list below shows some common plants in these categories. It is true that healthy plants are less likely to be attacked by Honey Fungus compared to plants which are weak and growing in poor conditions.|solution=The only course of action is to dig out all infected plants and burn them. Try to remove as much of the root system as possible because this is where the disease is most easily transmitted to other plants.For smaller areas a degree of further control can be achieved by removing the top 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 foot) of soil and replacing it with infection free soil.When replanting
  • choose plants that are resistant to Honey Fungus (see the list above) and definitely avoid those most susceptible to Honey Fungus (see list above). Keep plants as healthy as possible by regular mulching and feeding. {{Ref | gardenaction}}.}}

Honey Fungus

Identification
As the name suggests Honey fungus is a fungus. It exists primarily on dead plant material, but can also become a parasite feeding on live plant and tree roots. It attacks a wide variety of plant life ranging from trees to bulbs. The first symptom you will probably notice with plants and trees affected by Honey Fungus is general ill-health. Leaves do not grow so well, are discoloured and fruit is small. Surprisingly, flowering plants may produce larger than normal flowers immediately before they die back completely. Then you will notice white to cream honey-coloured growths of the Honey Fungus appearing in the soil around the base of the plant / tree - see the above picture. These growths are fan-shaped.When you pull the plant up, there will probably be dark brown rhizomorphs which look like brown to black root-like growths which resemble bootlaces. In advanced cases these root-like growths appear above the soil level. In many cases, beneath the bark of the trunk and branches you will see white mycelium. These form a thin creamy-white layer with a strong mushroom smell.
Prevention
Honey Fungus is caused by direct contact with the roots of an infected plant or tree. It is also caused by the rhizomorphs (see above for explanation) spreading underground from the infected plants to other healthy plants.Some plants are more vulnerable to catching Honey Fungus whilst others are relatively resistant to it. The list below shows some common plants in these categories. It is true that healthy plants are less likely to be attacked by Honey Fungus compared to plants which are weak and growing in poor conditions.
Solution
The only course of action is to dig out all infected plants and burn them. Try to remove as much of the root system as possible because this is where the disease is most easily transmitted to other plants.For smaller areas a degree of further control can be achieved by removing the top 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 foot) of soil and replacing it with infection free soil.When replanting, choose plants that are resistant to Honey Fungus (see the list above) and definitely avoid those most susceptible to Honey Fungus (see list above). Keep plants as healthy as possible by regular mulching and feeding. [15].
Type
fungus

References

  1. Crawford, Martin Creating a Forest Garden Green Books

    ↩1↩2

  2. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 32202/01/01

    ↩

  3. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 32202/01/01

  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 32202/01/01

    ↩1↩2

  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

  6. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 32202/01/01 ISBN 0460045512

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-304-31089-1

    ↩

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2

  12. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 32202/01/01 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩

  13. Flora of China 32202/01/01 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  14. Crawford, Martin Creating a Forest Garden Green Books ()

  15. Garden Action www.gardenaction.co.uk 2012/07/26

    ↩

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