Leafless lawyer

Scientific name: Rubus squarrosus
Other names: yellow-prickled lawyer

Vine or creeper - native to the Wellington Region
Suits: damp, dry, partial shade, sunny, exposure, coastal forest garden, coastal and dune garden, wetlands and water features

About Leafless lawyer

An unusual and oddly attractive plant which does well in open, free draining soils, rockeries and also in places where it can grow through surrounding shrubs. Rather resilient it can tolerate some drought and frost. Despite its very prickly stems and leaves it is probably the most commonly grown New Zealand indigenous Rubus. The large yellow prickles and seemingly leafless growth habit are sufficiently unusual that it has proved popular in gardens. If planted in the right sites it is also an excellent deterrent, keeping out unwanted visitors and animals! As with most of the New Zealand native Rubus the fruits of this species though edible are small and insipid.

Provides for birds