Click for previous Image Image 1 of 3 Rubus odoratus Purpleflowering Raspberry

Rubus odoratus

Purpleflowering Raspberry

Plant Type:

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

Rubus odoratus (ex: Nick Nickou) - Purple flowering Raspberry forms showy large purple-pink five-petaled flowers in late spring through midsummer clustered at tips of stems. Also referenced as Thimbleberry, the large, bold palmate leaves are hirsute. Stems on this subshrub are not thorny; rather, they are heavily and finely spined... but not painfully so. Fall color is dull yellow and stems offer some exfoliation for modest winter interest. Fruits are red and generally picked off by the two-winged and four-legged before we even have the opportunity to see them! Best sited in sun to part shade planted in fertile, draining soil. Rubus odoratus is a great colonizing plant for woodland edge, a wild habitat garden and for native bees - both in forage and nesting materials. I personally thank Nick Nickou for opening my eyes to the many wonderful aspects of this fine native plant. Cutting grown.


Height:

5-8 ft

Spread:

10-16 ft

Colors:

Rose Purple

Characteristics and Attributes for Rubus odoratus

Season of Interest (Flowering)

  • Spring / Summer

Season of Interest (Foliage)

  • Spring / Summer / Autumn

Autumn Interest

  • Fruit / Berries / Seed Heads
  • Autumn Leaf Color

Nature Attraction

  • Songbirds
  • Honey Bees & Native Bees
  • Butterflies

Light

  • Mostly Sunny
  • Full Sun

Attributes

  • Shrub Border
  • Drought Tolerant
  • Wildlife Garden
  • Hedgerow
  • Edging
  • Natural Garden
  • Ground Cover
  • Massing

Growth Rate in the Garden

  • Moderately Fast

Soil

  • Draining
  • Fertile

Origins

  • Eastern North America

Propagated By

  • Cutting Grown