The blackberry patch

This photo is from May 6. The white flowering plants are wild blackberries. What you see here is a blackberry patch. This one is relatively small. It covers an area about 20 feet wide by 35 feet long. It is sandwiched between a grassy area and new-growth timber.

A blackberry patch will often harbor an animal den, because wild blackberries offer good protection from predators. They grow thick and have briars. I saw a groundhog dart into the dark area to the right as I approached. Its den was under the briars farther back.

Wild blackberries patches are a valuable part of the wild outdoors in Southeast Missouri. Their flowers are used by a variety of pollinators. Their dense briars provide cover for myriad animals, such as rabbits, songbirds, groundhogs and even snakes. Some songbirds such as cardinals find the briars to be a safe place to raise their babies.