Crinkle-leaf Creeper Rubus rolfei
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Rubus calycinoides
- Rubus hayata-koidzumii
- Rubus pentalobus
- Phonetic Spelling
- ROO-bus ROL-fee-eye
- Description
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The genus Rubus includes blackberry, dewberry, and raspberry and most members of the genus share the traits of thorny or bristly stems and compound leaves. Flowers and fruits also appear on last season’s canes (branches), seldom on new shoots, which means one must be cautious when pruning and not remove the canes that will yield next year's berries. There are differences, however, among species; for example, some are erect or arching shrubs up to 8 feet high and others trail on the ground like vines. Some, such as dewberries, produce fruits in the spring while blackberries and raspberries fruit during the summer. In general, genus Rubus contains some of the most important plants for wildlife in the southeast.
Rubus rolfei is perfect for hot, dry, erodible slopes or a ditch where moisture fluctuates. This groundcover thrives in difficult conditions that other plants cannot tolerate. It is a perennial from Taiwan that grows 1 to 3 inches tall with crinkly, deep-green leaves providing needed texture in lightly shaded areas. It is in the Roseaceae family and commonly known as creeping raspberry, but it is sometimes listed as Rubus calycinoides or Rubus pentalobus
White flowers appear in mid-summer, but they are generally difficult to spot among the foliage. Creeping raspberry fruits are similar to blackberries or red raspberries, with their delicious flavor and aggregate shape but their color is yellow to salmon to red. The plant grows quickly forming a low growing dense carpet of leaves and in the fall and winter, those leaves turn subtle rusty pink in color. This groundcover is considered aggressive, but not invasive. It will not climb trees or smother nearby shrubs and can be managed easily with an edger. Space creeping raspberry plants 4 to 6 feet apart, allowing them plenty of room.
Creeping raspberry adapts well to containers and tumbles easily over rock walls, providing a “spilling over” effect. Bulbs or other perennials are able to pop up through the foliage to create interesting compositions. The cultivar ‘Emerald Carpet’ forms a low, dense, evergreen groundcover bearing textured, dark green leaves through the growing season. In the cooler months these leaves are blushed with burgundy tones. Alternatively, the cultivar ‘Golden Quilt’ is a branch sport that bears striking golden-yellow leaves that are especially prominent on the new growth of the season.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No known problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Emerald Carpet'
- 'Green Carpet'
- 'Emerald Carpet'
- 'Emerald Carpet', 'Green Carpet'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Emerald Carpet'
- 'Green Carpet'
- 'Emerald Carpet'
- 'Emerald Carpet', 'Green Carpet'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rubus
- Species:
- rolfei
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Taiwan
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant provides nectar for pollinators.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- deer resistant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 0 ft. 3 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- 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:
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Type:
- Aggregate
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- .5 inch bright red blackberry-like fruit.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are borne in mid-summer, but they are Inconspicuous and generally lost in the foliage and not prominent. Blooms from April to June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Pink
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Quickly forms a dense carpet. Ivy-shaped crinkly shiny dark green leaves with three to five lobes; deeply furrowed; copper fall color; densely branched In the fall and winter, foliage transforms to subtle rusts and pinks.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Heat