Blackberry has invaded the banks of watercourses, roadsides, pastures, orchards, plantations, forests and bushland throughout temperate Australia.

On farms blackberries reduce pasture production, restrict access to water and land, and provide food and shelter for pest animals such as foxes.

In some cases the cost of plantation forestry may be increased, especially during establishment, because blackberries impede access for manual operations.

Other impacts are increased fire hazards caused by the large amount of dead material present in blackberry thickets and a substantial decrease in property values where heavy infestations occur.

Control costs are often high.

Key points

• At least 14 different but closely related species of blackberry are naturalised in Australia.
• Some species could spread further within the climatic limits of blackberrys range.
• Blackberry management programs must be planned and sustained over a number of years.
• Biological control will not eradicate blackberry, but will slow the rate of spread and allow more time for control by other means. Rust has been the most successful biocontrol so far.
• In revegetation programs, native seedlings that are able to germinate and actively grow over winter have a competitive advantage.