Family: Rosaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Grows in subtropical to temperate climates
- Naturalized on Hawaii and Kauai islands
- A disturbance weed with potential negative impacts to natural areas
- Other Rubus species have become invasive weeds
- Stems and leaves covered with prickles
- Unpalatable to browsing animals (prickles deter browsing)
- Tolerates many soil types
- Forms thickets & can potentially smother other vegetation
- Reproduces be seeds (at least within native range)
- Can hybridize with other Rubus species
- Able to spread vegetatively by root suckers & rhizomatous canes
- Seeds, when produced, dispersed by birds, mammals & intentionally by people
- Seeds, if produced, may persist in the soil
- Able to resprout after cutting
Low Risk Traits:
- Non-toxic
- Seed production may be limited in the Hawaiian Islands, possibly minimizing long-distance dispersal