I can't seem to find the identity of this plant. I think it's too early for it to bloom, so I don't know the flower color. I think it's a berry of some sort. The leaves are shiny green on top, and have some of the same reddish bristly hair on the back of the leaf that is present on the stem. Leaves are alternate. On the sample I have, the largest leaves are about 3.5 inches (9cm) wide by 4 inches (10.5 cm) in height. My location is SW Washington, and this is located in a open wooded area. I've looked through all the plant ID sites, and have found that there are many gooseberries (currants) in the PNW-- see http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/indexCurrants.html But none of them look close enough to the specimen I have. I've also looked at the raspberries, and found one that looks similar, although the leaves on my plant don't have as many lobes: http://www.friendsofeloisebutler.org/pages/plants/purpleflowerraspberry.html However, the description states that it can have as few as 3 lobes, so maybe this IS the one. I'm aware that these plants readily hybridize, but I'm hoping someone can come up with a quick, uncomplicated answer! :-) I volunteer as a Master Gardener at our extension plant and insect clinic, and someone brought this into the clinic for us to identify. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Any idea of height of the plants? My initial reaction is Rubus tricolor, but there are many species of Rubus.
I think you're right! http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/199518/ And how the heck did it end up in her yard...oh, yeah--with a little help from our avian friends, I guess! Thanks! It's great to know about this tremendous resource for our busy plant clinic!
