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Rubus idaeus

Phonetic Spelling
ROO-bus eye-DAY-ee-us
Description

The raspberry is a perennial shrub that produces sweet, red edible fruits.  The species is split into two main varieties, Rubus idaeus var. idaeus (European raspberry) which is native to Eurasia and Rubus idaeus var. strigosus (American red raspberry) which is native to a large part of North America.  They can be differentiated by the fact that var. strigosus has glandular hairs and peeling bark that var. idaeus lacks and var. idaeus tends to grow in higher, drier uplands.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.    

More information on Rubus.

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Cultivars / Varieties:
'Fallgold', 'Heritage', var. idaeus, var. strigosus
Tags:
#deciduous#shrub#deciduous shrub#nectar plant#medicinal#cover plant#bramble#trellises#dye plant#children's garden#red fruits#prickly#playground plant#edible fruits#pollinator plant#edible garden#food source summer#food source nectar#bird friendly#nectar plant late spring#butterfly friendly#nectar plant early summer#nectar plant midspring#ebh-fn#bee friendly#vhfn#vhfn-f#perennial#weed#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Fallgold', 'Heritage', var. idaeus, var. strigosus
Tags:
#deciduous#shrub#deciduous shrub#nectar plant#medicinal#cover plant#bramble#trellises#dye plant#children's garden#red fruits#prickly#playground plant#edible fruits#pollinator plant#edible garden#food source summer#food source nectar#bird friendly#nectar plant late spring#butterfly friendly#nectar plant early summer#nectar plant midspring#ebh-fn#bee friendly#vhfn#vhfn-f#perennial#weed#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Rubus
    Species:
    idaeus
    Family:
    Rosaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Stem Cutting
    Wildlife Value:
    Attracts pollinators, bees, and butterflies for its nectar. Fruit is eaten by birds and small mammals and plants provide cover.
    Play Value:
    Attracts Pollinators
    Edible fruit
    Wildlife Cover/Habitat
    Wildlife Food Source
    Edibility:
    Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and delicious when eaten out of hand. The fruit is also used in pies, preserves, and in wines. An 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Edible
    Perennial
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Semi-evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Arching
    Erect
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Coarse
    Appendage:
    Prickles
  • 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)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    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
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    White
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Showy
    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. Cultivars exist in various colors and tend to be more productive than the straight species.
  • 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 from April to June.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Semi-evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    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:
    Red raspberry leaves are usually pinnately divided into 3-5 leaflets, infrequently undivided, with pleated wrinkles. Undersides are lighter and fuzzy.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Stem surface varies with variety– var. strigosus has glandular hairs while var. idaeus lacks them.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Recreational Play Area
    Vertical Spaces
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Children's Garden
    Edible Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Barrier
    Screen/Privacy
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Problems:
    Spines/Thorns
    Weedy