Long arching prickly stems root where they touch the ground. Seed spread in bird droppings, mean they can appear in most places, usually from below hedgerows, shrubs and trees where the birds perch. The mature plant stems can reach 3 metres, with about four or five arising from a root. The picture includes a seedling showing the immature leaves, older leaves have three to five, oval toothed leaflets with prickles on the back of the petiole and centre vein. They are arranged alternately on the thorny stem. The backward facing thorns are the means by which the stems cling on as they grow through bushes and trees - and ruin many knitted swetters!
The leaves contain tannins giving them astringent properties so have been used to staunch diarrhoea, made into a fragrant tea which can be taken for coughs, colds and flu, also they have antiseptic and antifungal effects. Chewing the shoot-tips is said to be a remedy for indigestion. External ailments that have been treated include shingles, boils, and spots and sores on the face.

The white, pink or purple flowers appear from May to September on second year stems which die back later after the ripe purple-black berries follow from September to October.
Tradition has it that you should not pick the fruit after Old Michaelmas Day (October 10th) as the Devil stamps or spits on them. The legend goes that he was angered when he fell from heaven onto some brambles and ever since has cursed the fruit on that day.

Stout gloves with leather palms are a necessity for handling brambles. Young plants have one or two stems which are relatively easy to root out completely. Older plants have many stems, some of them dead, and can be difficult to dig up, especially when situated at the base of a hedge. A mattock is a useful tool for getting them out. The deep, woody roots can regenerate when the main clump is removed, so check later for new shoots. Continual pulling or close mowing will kill them eventually. Also check the end of arching stems which may have taken root and if pulled from afar, may leave a small rooted fragment behind.

Use a stronger concentration of a systemic herbicide, eg. Gylphosate in Bayer garden tree stump killer, Growing success Deep Root ultra and Roundup Tree stump and Root killer, or a selective herbicide in Vitax SBK Brushwood killer.