What a gift to our shady gardens!
Rubus odoratus, known as thimbleberry or purple flowering raspberry, is a close relative of the red and black raspberries we all love.
Thimbleberry loves to spread via underground rhizomes similar to red raspberry, however it grows quite well in more shady environments like black raspberries!
The flowers are quite large for a fruiting shrub, and a pretty shade of purple. The fruit is quite sweet as well, very comparable to our cultivated raspberries.
Thimbleberry is also quite a tough plant. It will stand its own against powerful spreading plants and not let many other roots travel within its boundaries. In that way it is a great boundary plant.
Growth Parameters:
Expect a spreading perennial shrub with canes ranging in height from 4 to 6 feet in normal conditions. Sometimes canes can get even larger though! Sunlight can range from full sun to part shade.