Unidentified bramble makes sweet treat

Q: Can you identify a thorny plant that has taken over an area of my yard? Some of these have grown to six feet tall. It has a star-shaped stalk. Along with identification, can you also give me advice on killing it and preventing it in the future?

A: Technically they are brambles. But having gotten that far, I can’t tell you which of the dozens of different brambles they are. Blackberries and raspberries are members of the bramble family. I searched and searched for star-shaped stems or branches and found exactly nil. But I did find a recipe for bramble candy. (bit.ly/GAbramblecandy) Any brush-killer herbicide will kill the top growth, but it will be hard to prevent it coming back unless you dig each plant and remove the roots which will sprout if you kill the top.