Side by side
Bramble or dog rose? How to tell them apart
Rubus · Rosa canina
How to tell them apart – bramble: strong prickles and blackberries; dog rose: wild rose with arching, prickly stems, pink flowers and red rose hips.
How do you recognise them?
- Bramble
- Arching, prickly stems, compound leaves and blackberries.
- Compared with dog rose: strong prickles and blackberries.
- Dog rose
- Wild rose with arching, prickly stems, pink flowers and red rose hips.
| Bramble | Dog rose | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, palmately compound with 3–5 toothed leaflets; often semi-evergreen. | Alternate, pinnate with 5–7 toothed leaflets; stipules at the base. |
| Flowering | White or pink flowers from June to August (June–August). | Single, pale pink to white flowers with five petals, June (June). |
| Fruit | Blackberries (August–September). | Red rose hips, rich in vitamin C (tea, jam); the hairs inside are itchy. |
| Bark | Angular stems with strong, hooked prickles; the tips take root where they touch the ground. | Green to red stems with hooked prickles. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–3 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, dry to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | February–March and September–October | February–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Bramble
- Plant profile: Dog rose
- Bramble: when and how to prune
- Dog rose: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Raspberry or bramble
- Sweet-briar or dog rose
- Dog rose or Japanese rose
- Bramble or Japanese wineberry
- Field-rose or dog rose
- Burnet rose or dog rose
- Raspberry or dog rose
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.