Rubus odoratus

Sizes available: True Gallon

Basics: zones 3-8, 3-6' x 6-12', part sun to shade, purply-pink flowers look like single roses and bloom in mid summer followed by edible but not particularly tasty fruits, leaves turn yellow in the fall. adaptable as to soil type, although fertility and moisture are welcome, this shrub is quite drought tolerant once established.

Common names: Flowering Raspberry, Thimbleberry

Family: Rosaceae

Origin/Distribution: Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin, south down the Appalachian spine to Georgia and Alabama. Rubus odoratus has naturalized in Washington state, where it is not native, as well as parts of Europe, including the southeast of England. These plants were grown from seed collected in New England and Rubus odoratus is native to Maine.

Habitat: wood's edge, shady and moist spots

More: This is an excellent thornless, suckering shrub for a shady understory, very adaptable and tough, with attractive maple-like foliage and pretty blooms. Deer may do some nibbling.

Nursery: Van Berkum

Image credits: close up of flower and all illustrations from Wikimedia Commons