Raspberry: Flowering (Rubus odoratus)

Native Perennial

This beautiful shrub sports large maple-shaped leaves that stay green through the season.  While it does fruit, the fruits are much smaller than the raspberries grown for human consumption.  Here is a description from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: “A suckering shrub, 3-6 ft. high and 6-12 ft. wide which forms broad patches. Five-lobed, maple-like, dark green leaves become pale yellow in fall. Large, pinkish-purple flowers occur singly or in few-flowered clusters. Fruit is a broadly rounded, red to purple berry. Canes are thornless, yellow- to orange-brown, and exfoliating. This erect, shrubby, thornless plant has rose-lavender flowers in loose clusters; new branches have bristly hairs.”

Excellent food source for native bees, bumble bees, honey bees, and a variety of birds and mammals.  Also provides nesting structure and materials for native bees.

Height: 3-6ft, Sun: Sun-Shade- but does quire well in shade!, Soil: Medium-moist