Curious Place for a Blackberry to Grow

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I've heard it said that blackberries could be grown out of concrete. While a bit incredulous on that claim, I did come across a blackberry plant growing out of an old railroad tie (how it got there is anybodies guess, as you can see people leave their shopping carts here also) on my walk home last night. If you are from Watsonville, this is on the east side of Pioneer Cemetery by the drainage ditch; there's also a big growth of Himalayan blackberry very close by.

While most people might not give this much thought, the professional in me begs that I do. Isn't this tie full of creosote, which prevents decay and I assuming plant growth? Aeration is probably primo, but where on earth is this plant extracting nutrients? The C/N ratio on this must off the charts, so how is it nourishing itself? How about water?

I'll keep watching it, doubt that it gets to fruiting but if it does I'll post it.

Blackberry growing out of a railroad tie.

Full view of blackberry growing out of railroad tie.

7/29/2019. Good bye my little friend. You were a source of joy and hope in a sea of filth and iniquity. Someone moved the tie, probably breaking the roots that had gone into the soil and able to sustain this little guy with water.