Pictures of a Blackberry Tree – A Photo Guide

Blackberry trees, with their sweet juicy berries, are a favorite of many gardeners. However, blackberries don’t actually grow on trees! This is a common misconception. Blackberries grow on thorny shrubs in the genus Rubus. So what are those tree-like plants that produce blackberry-looking fruit? Often, they are mulberry trees. Pictures can help identify mulberry trees and other trees that produce blackberry lookalikes.

What Does a Blackberry Tree Look Like?

Blackberries grow on a bush or brambles, which have multiple woody canes with branches and thorns. The leaves are green, toothed, and palmately compound with 5 leaflets. White or pale pink flowers bloom in spring, and the berries ripen in summer. They are small, round, and black when ripe.

Here are key identification features of blackberry shrubs:

• Multiple woody canes growing from the ground, 3-10 feet tall
• Thorny stems
• Large palmate leaves with toothed edges
• White or light pink flowers in spring
• Plump juicy black berries in summer

Blackberry shrubs are quite different from actual trees. So what plant is the “blackberry tree”?

The Blackberry Tree is Actually a Mulberry Tree

The tree that produces blackberry-like fruit is usually a mulberry tree. There are 3 main types:

Red Mulberry

The red mulberry tree (Morus rubra) produces cylindrical red berries up to 1.5 inches long. The berries ripen to black.

Identification features

• 30-50 ft tall tree
• Dense, spreading canopy
• Berries are red ripening to black

White Mulberry

The white mulberry tree (Morus alba) has white unripe fruit that turns pink or purple-black when ripe.

Identification features:

• 30-50 ft tall tree
• Weeping canopy
• Green unripe fruit turns white, pink or black

Black Mulberry

The black mulberry tree (Morus nigra) has dark black fruit when ripe.

Identification features

• 30-50 ft tall tree
• Rounded canopy
• Black fruit

So if you see a tree with berry-like fruit, it’s likely one of these mulberry trees, not a blackberry tree.

Other Trees with Blackberry Lookalikes

A few other trees produce fruits that resemble blackberries:

Hackberry Tree

The common hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis) has pea-sized dark purple berries. The leaves are lance-shaped with toothed edges.

American Buffaloberry

This silver-green shrubby tree has bright red berries that look and taste like cranberries,

Serviceberry

Serviceberry trees (Amelanchier species) produce small sweet dark purple berries that resemble blueberries. The leaves are oval and turn brilliant orange and red in fall.

Strawberry Tree

This small evergreen tree (Arbutus unedo) has red oval fruits with a rough, bumpy surface. The fruits look like strawberries.

Panama Berry Tree

This tropical tree has round cherry-like red fruits. The leaves are evergreen.

While these trees produce blackberry lookalikes, they are all distinctly different plants. Pictures can help identify the subtleties between them.

How to Identify a Blackberry Tree in Photos

Here are tips for identifying blackberry trees in pictures:

• Look for tree form vs. bush form. Blackberries only grow as shrubs.
• Examine the shape and color of the fruit. Blackberries are plump and perfectly black when ripe. Mulberries are elongated and cylindical.
• Check the leaves. Blackberries have toothed, palmate compound leaves. Trees have simple, alternate leaves.
• Note flowers. Blackberries have 5-petaled white or pink flowers. Trees have clusters of tiny greenish flowers.
• Consider thorns. Blackberry shrubs have thorny stems while trees do not.
• Watch for fall color. Blackberry shrubs stay green but some trees turn brilliant fall hues.

If the plant in the photo has a tree-like shape, simple leaves, tiny flowers, no thorns, and fall color, then it is likely a mulberry, serviceberry, or other berry-producing tree. It is not a true blackberry tree.

Examples of Blackberry Tree Photos

Here are examples of blackberry tree lookalikes with explanations:

Red mulberry tree with black fruit

This is a red mulberry tree, evident by the elongated blackberry-like fruit and spreading canopy.

White mulberry tree with pink fruit

The color-changing fruit identifies this as a white mulberry tree. The berries start white and turn pink or purple-black.

Serviceberry tree

This is likely a serviceberry tree based on the oval purple berries and brilliant orange fall foliage.

Hackberry tree

The lance-shaped leaves and clusters of tiny round purple fruits identify this as a hackberry tree.

While blackberries do not grow on trees, several trees produce fruits that look like blackberries, especially the mulberry. Pictures are invaluable for identifying the subtle differences between these blackberry lookalikes. Examine the fruit shape and color, leaves, flowers, thorns, and growth habit to discern blackberry trees from true blackberry shrubs. With this photo guide, you’ll be able to confidently identify blackberry tree lookalikes.