Winter stems
You’ll notice in the hedgerow that the stems of some brambles are an attractive reddish colour, but the ones that really shine in the garden are those with white stems. And they really are white – so clean and bright. Actually, they’re often red, purple or green underneath but you can’t tell unless you rub off the waxy white coating.
For much of the year the leaves mostly hide the stems but when they fall their colour is revealed. Reaching anything from 90cm (3ft) to 1.5m (5ft), the stems tend to arch over attractively and, as the thorns grip the neighbouring stems, they become conveniently self-supporting.
Rubus biflorus
The tallest and most vigorous, needing plenty of space to create its vivid impact, its green stems are covered in white wax. In August, cut out stems that have flowered to leave the newest, fattest, and whitest stems to shine through winter. H: 2.4m (8ft).
R. cockburnianus
Shorter than R. biflorus, partly because the white stems tend to arch over, creating a fountain-like display. Definitely the best white-stemmed type for most gardens, the stems are red under their white coating so are colourful even if the wax is lost. Prune in August (as above) or in spring. H: 1.8m (6ft).