Grayleaf Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ROO-bus ee-DAY-us strig-OH-sus
- Description
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American red raspberry is a native perennial shrub found in much of the USA and Canada except for the deep south. In NC it is primarily found in the mountains. It grows with an erect and spreading habit forming thickets in wet bogs and woods to dry, wooded slopes & clearings
Raspberry roots are perennial but the leaf- and fruit-bearing canes are biennial, each cane living only two growing seasons before dying. Second-year canes are what flowers and produce tasty red fruits.
The American raspberry is a high-value wildlife plant providing food to multiple creatures and wildlife cover year-round. There are many cultivars with improved fruit size and flavor appropriate for the home garden. Be sure and check the required chill hours before planting.
Information on blackberry cultivation for home gardeners is available in the NC State Extension publication Raspberries in the Home Gaden
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Anthracnose, botrytis, root rot and other fungal diseases can cause serious problems that may necessitate chemical treatments. Cane borers and crown borers are potentially serious insect pests.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rubus
- Species:
- idaeus
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Fruit is highly edible fresh or frozen and often cooked into pies or as preserves.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- AK, AZ , CA , CO , CT , IA , ID , IL , IN , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
- Wildlife Value:
- Butterflies and other insects are attracted to the blooms. Its fruits are relished by songbirds, small mammals, foxes, raccoons, and black bears. During the winter, birds and small mammals eat the seeds left from rotted fruit. White-tailed deer and rabbits browse the leaves. Cover is provided year-round.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Moderately resistent to deer.
- Edibility:
- Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and delicious when eaten out of hand. The fruit is also used in pies, preserves etc. A herb tea is made from the dried leaves and some say that a type of tea made from raspberry and blackberry leaves is an excellent coffee substitute.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Prickles
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Aggregate
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Botanically the fruits are not berries (though they are usually called berries)– they are instead made of many small drupes. The fruits hold together in a hollow cone.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Bracts
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are in clusters, but are occasionally solitary. Each flower has five petals, five sepals, five bracts, numerous stamens, and several pistils clustered on a cone-shaped core known as a receptacle. Blooms late spring to early summer (April to June).
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Doubly Serrate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are usually pinnately divided into 3-5 leaflets, infrequently undivided, with pleated wrinkles. Undersides are lighter and fuzzy.
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Bark:
- Surface/Attachment:
- Peeling
- Bark Description:
- Bark peels with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems can be differentiated from var. idaeus by the glandular hairs on the stem surface. They are also covered in sharp prickles.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Vertical Spaces
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Screen/Privacy
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
- Weedy
