Thorn stars
Not all brambles are thugs – there are plenty you should welcome into your plot
BRAMBLES. Aargh, the mere mention of the word is enough to strike fear into the hearts of gardeners. It certainly makes me shudder. As a young man, I took on a neglected allotment that was covered with a dense, thorny thicket. After a year of chopping back stems and digging out roots, I had barely made a dent in the plot.
Yet not all brambles need be feared by gardeners. In fact, there is a group of closely related plants that are much better behaved. Known colloquially as ornamental brambles, these multi-stemmed, deciduous shrubs are admired for their flowers, foliage and, in some cases, even their prickly shoots.
Both ornamental brambles and their thuggish, weedy relative belong to the rubus plant family, which includes a number of plants familiar to gardeners. Among them are ground-cover stalwarts such
Stems with a white coating really shine in the low winter sun
as Rubus tricolor and fruit-bearing species, such as blackberries, raspberries and loganberries.
Ornamental species are largely native to China, where they can be found growing in a wide range of habitats, from riverbanks to forests. Since their introduction to our shores, from 1818 to the start of the 20th Century, wild ones have been joined by a number of showy varieties created by horticulturists.
Invasive brambles tend to form large stands due to underground shoots (technically stolons) travelling long distances before emerging – the ends of above- ground stems will also take root if they touch the soil. Fortunately, ornamental plants retain a much tighter shape thanks to shoots, or suckers, rising from the crown.
Those prized for their flowers or attractive leaves tend to turn heads in spring or summer, but there are several with stunning stems that will add interest at this time of year – overlaid with a pure white, dusty coating, the shoots really shine in low winter sun and stand out well against a darker backdrop.
Ornamental brambles are happy in just about any soil, as long as it’s moist but free-draining. Plants grown for their flowers are happy in sun or light shade, while those with striking white stems tend to thrive if given a sunny spot. Improve the ground prior to planting by digging in garden compost or well-rotted manure.
Varieties that boast pretty flowers are perfect in mixed beds and borders, planted alongside other shrubs and perennials. The blooms are loved by bees and pollinating insects, so consider adding them to wildlife gardens. Sadly, they are not suitable for using as solitary specimens as their season of interest is fleeting.
Those with white stems are a must-have in winter-interest displays, under- planted with black dragon grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), yellow winter aconites or snowdrops.
As for other shrubs, they combine well with ornamental dogwoods and multi-stemmed scarlet willow (Salix ‘Britzensis’).
The chalky white blooms that cover the stems of some ornamental brambles wear off naturally over winter.
Encourage a flush of vibrant new shoots to take their place by cutting back everything close to the ground in early spring. Remember to wear a pair of thick gloves to protect your hands from thorns.
Once plants have been given the chop, get them off to a flying start by spreading general-purpose fertiliser granules over the soil. Finish by spreading a 3in- deep mulch of garden compost, leaf mould or composted bark around the clump – don’t smother the crown as this can lead to the stems rotting.