Rubus Niveus Royalty-Free Stock Image

Highly invasive evergreen shrub native to India, China and Southeast Asia. It was introduced around the world through the horticultural trade for its production of sweet tasting fruit and as an ornamental due to the striking red-purple color of its stems. However, cultivated crops were abandoned due to the formation of dense and thorny forests and many plants of R. niveus escaped cultivation aided by seed distribution by birds. Out of cultivation, r. niveus can overwhelm native vegetation, decrease biodiversity and threaten rare endemic species. The success of many Rubus species is linked to the rapid growth of roots and their ability to reproduce vegetatively. R. niveus has been described as the most invasive wild herb species in the Galapagos archipelago and declared a harmful weed in the US state of Hawaii.