Nova Scotia is dealing with a new invasive species that could pose competition for low-lying vegetation and native fruits.
The Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council says the Himalayan blackberry has been discovered in Yarmouth, making it a first for the province.
Despite the name, the thicket-forming shrub is not native to the Himalayan mountains, but to the Armenian region.
Council leader Kirsten Noel said the plant had been found over the past week in several different locations in Yarmouth, including along the coast and the Yarmouth County Rail Trail.
The invasive berry will continue to bloom until frost forms. (Submitted by Kirsten Noel)
“We suspect it was deliberately planted in a garden by someone who probably didn’t realize how invasive it was or how aggressively it grew,” Noel said.
She said the “aggression” is what sets it apart from native blackberries.
It can grow up to five meters tall and uses walking sticks – long, thin branches – to move. Canes can grow more than 10 meters long and take root wherever they touch the ground, helping them to create new plants.
The fruits themselves are slightly larger than those grown from native species, do not have the trademark and are slightly more bitter in taste.
Himalayan blackberry bushes are also dense and thorn-covered, creating large walls that can block access to waterways and trails.
“They don’t grow in harmony with our native species,” Noel said. “For a long time, invasive species outcompete our native species for important resources such as food, nutrients or space. Ultimately, this can reduce biodiversity.”
Part of the appeal of planting a berry is its fruit, said David Solows, president of UNESCO’s Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association. He said this is especially true since the plant will flower and bear fruit continuously until frost occurs.
Solows said controlling the plant in the early stages of its spread is critical.
“Once it gets established in things like fields and areas that are for agriculture, it can create really dense barriers of huge spiked branches that are almost impenetrable,” he said.
It is likely that part of the spread of the plant is due to birds eating the fruit and dropping the seeds. Sollows added that the climate and coastal exposure may also play a role in how well the Yarmouth facility does.
Shrubs create large walls of foliage that can block access to waterways and trails. (Submitted by Kirsten Noel)
Although this is the first appearance of the plant in Nova Scotia, it has already been seen in other Canadian jurisdictions. British Columbia has long dealt with the plant, which is found in the lower mainland and Vancouver Island.
Noel said the council was likely to be able to control the growth of the plant because it was discovered early. She said the group plans to contact other invasive species councils that have dealt with the berries to get insight on the best plan of action.
Ultimately, a management plan will be developed to outline how the council will deal with the existing plants.
“This can include outreach and education as well [manually] cutting the bushes, digging,” Noel said. “It’s definitely something that’s on our high priority list once we know it’s there.”
Solows echoed the sentiment and said education is an important part of berry plant control.
“Convincing the public that you really don’t want it … can be a challenge,” he said. “It’s a plant that will eventually start costing municipalities and people in agriculture money to eradicate it.”
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