Rubus henryi bambusarum

This ornamental Bramble is very vigorous, with fast growth, and has thin, flexible, and thorny stems. It has beautiful palmate foliage, dark green in colour, shiny and leathery, resembling that of certain bamboos. In May-June, it displays long clusters of small pink-red flowers, followed by edible fruits.

Rubus henryi bambusarum is a spreading ornamental Bramble with slender, flexible, and arching woody climbing stems, which are thorny. It is native to China and belongs to the Rosaceae family. This fast-growing Bramble is a very vigorous liana that needs support to climb and can easily exceed 6m (20 ft) in height. Its evergreen foliage, as indicated by its species name, consists of very characteristic leathery leaves, resembling those of certain bamboos, measuring 6 to 12cm (2 to 5in) in length, lanceolate and divided into 3 elongated narrow lobes, shiny dark green on the upper side, and white and felted on the underside. In May-June, long clusters of 5 to 10 cup-shaped flowers, 1 to 2cm (1in) in diameter, pink-red in colour, bloom, followed by edible fruits that are shiny and spherical, 1 to 2cm (1in) in diameter, turning black when ripe, in July-August.

The Bamboo-leaved Bramble, highly ornamental due to its characteristic leaves, is a vigorous and robust plant that can be used both as groundcover and a climbing plant. However, be careful, as like many brambles, it can quickly become invasive, spreading with formidable efficiency and difficult to control! It therefore requires regular monitoring to contain its spread. As a climber, it needs support to rise. Climbing easily on various structures, its splendid dark green, shiny, trilobed, stiff, and leathery foliage will provide an elegant decoration to chosen hosts, whether it be a trellis or a pergola, or large and small trees. It will be ideal for covering an unsightly fence, creating a dense green screen. It can also climb on a large evergreen tree with small leaves to create a contrast of foliage. It is also possible to use it as groundcover on a slope or steep terrain. It can be combined with other climbing plants such as Liana Roses, Clematis, Ornamental Vines, and can climb on large trees such as a Handkerchief Tree, a Judas Tree, a Tulip Tree, or a Japanese Flowering Cherry.

The genus name Rubus comes from the Latin word ruber, meaning red, alluding to the colour of the fruit. The Henry's Bramble was named in honour of Aimé Constant Fidèle Henry (1801-1875), who was the first to collect it in China. Its juvenile leaves are used in China for herbal tea, and its fruits are edible.