There is something very stealthy about the way that brambles
move around. The shoot in the photo above has used its prickles to grip the far
side of the mossy wall, then extended its growth until it reached the top of
the six foot barrier and is now undulating along this side of the wall.
Eventually that long shoot will bend under its own weight, towards the ground....
..... and when it touches the soil this will happen - adventitious roots will form.
Now, securely anchored and with an additional supply of mineral nutrients and water, a new, long, arching shoot is beginning to form and soon the whole process will begin again. Constantly conquering new territories, bounding across the landscape.
Posts
A tough, successful plant; but a pain when they get a grip in the garden where they're not wanted.
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly digging it out! seems to grow even in winter.If I turned my back on it for a couple of years it would be everywhere.
DeleteI think it was one of the David Attenborough plant series which showed some time lapse of bramble growth - very aggressive plants.
ReplyDeleteI remember that........ a vivid portrayal of how plants invade new territory
DeleteSo that is how they do it!
ReplyDeleteThey leap frog over obstacles and form an impenetrable thicket very quickly. Some plants can cover a very large area, spreading in this way.
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