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Rubus occidentalis

black raspberry

Rosaceae Eastern and central North America

Attracts Pollinators

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Rubus occidentalis is a deciduous, cane-forming shrub in the rose family, growing 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8 m) tall with long, arching stems that root where their tips touch the ground. The canes are purplish and coated with a blue-white waxy bloom and armed with hooked prickles. Leaves are compound with three to five toothed leaflets that are green above and white-hairy beneath. In late spring clusters of small white five-petaled flowers open at the cane tips and leaf axils. The flowers give way to firm, rounded berries that ripen from red to deep purple-black in early to midsummer, separating cleanly from the core to leave a hollow cap. Each cane lives two years, producing leaves the first year and fruit the second before dying back. The plant spreads both by seed, often dropped by birds, and by tip-rooting canes that form new plants. Rubus occidentalis grows in woodland edges, clearings, and fencerows, and is cultivated for its edible fruit. It can form dense, prickly thickets where left unmanaged.

Native Range

Rubus occidentalis is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada south to Georgia and west to the Great Plains. It grows in open woods, thickets, and disturbed clearings.

Suggested Uses

Grown in home fruit gardens and edible hedges for its summer berries, which are eaten fresh or used in jams, pies, and juice. The flowers feed bees and the fruit draws many birds. Its prickly, thicket-forming habit also creates cover and nesting sites in wildlife and naturalized plantings.

How to Identify

Recognized by arching purplish canes covered in a blue-white waxy bloom and curved prickles, and by leaves of three to five leaflets that are bright green above and chalky white beneath. The berries ripen purple-black and pull away from the core to leave a hollow center, unlike the solid fruit of blackberries. Tip-rooting cane ends mark where new plants form.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 6'

Width/Spread4' - 8'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

Small white flowers open in late spring, mostly May and June, on the previous year''s canes. The bloom lasts about two weeks and is worked by bees. Fruit follows quickly, ripening in early to midsummer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green above, white beneath

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2 years to first fruit

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun to light shade on moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Fruiting is heaviest in full sun, while too much shade reduces both yield and flavor. The biennial canes fruit in their second year, so old fruited canes are cut out each year to make room for new growth. Plants need steady moisture while the fruit swells but tolerate short dry spells once established. Good airflow and clean pruning reduce cane disease and the orange rust to which the species is prone. Tip-rooting canes are kept in check to stop the patch from spreading.

Pruning

The two-year-old canes are cut out at ground level right after they finish fruiting, leaving the current season''s new canes to bear the next year. The new canes are tipped at 24-30 inches (60-75 cm) in summer to prompt branching and more fruiting laterals. Side branches are shortened in late winter before growth begins.