Rubus armeniacus is native to Armenia, usually in higher alititudes, but it does well in other areas of the country. It was brought to the US in the late 1800's but became difficult to contain and was soon spread about through bird droppings and other forms of animal dispertion. It eventually made it's way to the Pacific North West where it is a particular concern; like a lot of critically invasive species (that isn't a technical term, but best describes the type of invasive species this is), it's so well suited for its new environment that it actually pushes out/ out-crowds many native species.
It's roots and branches also send out "runners." This means that essentially the roots will spread out from the main section of the plant and sprout up other "clones" of the plant, or where ever the branches themselves are weighted down and touch the ground, they send out roots and sprout up another "clone" of the plant. For the record, I used the word "clone" in quotation marks because I'm not sure if this is the technical term for this new section of the plant.
Finally, it's a fast growing shrub. I remember working for 4 hours with about 20 other volunteers at Seward park back in 2010 to cut back about 1/8th of an acre of blackberry bushes, and not only were we not completely successful (we only cut about 70% of the bushes back, most of the roots we couldn't even get to), but when we came back a month later we found that they had grown back completely and sent out newer, stronger runners.
Speak to anywho who has tried to eradicate a Himalayan blackberry from their property and you'll get the something along this response: "There's no point. As soon as I pull them out, they're back in a matter of weeks. Or if I manage to dig out the root system, which is way too deep and thick most of the time, they'll just pop up somewhere else from bird droppings or other runners."
So what's a gardener to do?
Rent a Goat.
You read me....rent a goat. Photo retrieved from here.
You know the old myth that a goat will eat anything? "A goat could eat itself...if it had to..." It's true. A Seattle PI article titled, "Rent-a-goats gain foothold," gives a pretty good example of the amazing eating power of goats...
"Last month, Iwanczuk was faced with a steep quarter-acre lot on Dearborn Street covered with impenetrable brush. He figured it would take a crew at least a week to clear the lot, filling eight to10 trucks with waste.
When a real estate broker suggested goats, Iwanczuk agreed to give it a try. His colleagues laughed -- at first.
Four days and 60 goats later, the blackberry vines and Scotch broom were gone, and Iwanczuk had risen to neighborhood hero status. Elementary school groups came to watch and pet the goats as they dozed on the sidewalk. Moms brought freshly baked cookies. Local gardeners lusting for free fertilizer scooped the lot clean of droppings."
We're talking a chemical-free, low-labor way to fix an invasive problem. And if this is a small-scale farm or urban farm operation, we're talking an easy way to feed your future supper entree (named Billy).
That being said...the only concern are the seeds still in the goat droppings...
Sources:
-Personal experience
-Wikipedia page on Himalayan Blackberry
-USDA Plant Profile on Rubus ameniacus
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