Rubus pubescens
dwarf raspberry
Overview
Rubus pubescens is a low, trailing perennial in the rose family, spreading by slender runners to form patches rather than upright canes. Flowering stems rise only 2-12 inches (5-30 cm) above the ground, and the trailing stems are soft and nearly unarmed, lacking the stout prickles of most brambles. The leaves are compound with three coarsely toothed leaflets, each 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) long, bright green and slightly hairy. White to pale pink five-petaled flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across appear singly or in small groups from late spring into summer. They are followed by small, dark red aggregate fruits that are edible and sweet but separate from the plant with difficulty. It grows in cool, moist woods, swamp margins, streambanks, and shaded conifer forests across northern North America. The plant spreads by above-ground runners and roots at the nodes, forming a low ground layer. It dies back to the ground in winter and regrows in spring. It needs consistent moisture and shade and declines in hot, dry, or fully exposed sites.
Native Range
Native to northern North America, from Alaska and across Canada south into the northern United States, including the Great Lakes and New England regions.Suggested Uses
Used as a shaded groundcover in woodland and native plant gardens and in cool, moist restoration plantings. Suited to the front of shaded beds and the edges of bog or stream gardens. Its low runners knit together to cover moist, shaded ground.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 1'
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to pale pinkFoliage Description
bright greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 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