Rubus odoratus, the purple-flowered raspberry,[2][3] flowering raspberry,[3] or Virginia raspberry, is a species of Rubus, native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin, and south along the Appalachian Mountains as far as Georgia and Alabama.[3][4]

Rubus odoratus
Purple-flowering raspberry cultivated in Denmark
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Species:
R. odoratus
Binomial name
Rubus odoratus
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
  • Bossekia odorata (L.) Greene
  • Rubacer columbianum (Millsp.) Rydb.
  • Rubacer odoratum (L.) Rydb.
  • Rubus columbianus (Millsp.) Rydb.
  • Rubus glandulifolius Salisb.
  • Rubus grandifolius Salisb.
  • Rubus quinquelobus Stokes

Rubus odoratus is a shrub growing to 3 metres (10 ft) tall, with perennial, not biennial, stems (unlike many other species in the genus). Also, unlike most other related species this plant does not have thorns. The leaves are palmately lobed with five (rarely three or seven) lobes, up to 25 cm (10 in) long and broad, superficially resembling maple leaves. The flowers are 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) in diameter, with five magenta or occasionally white petals; they are produced from early spring to early fall. The red edible fruit matures in late summer to early autumn, and resembles a large, flat raspberry with many drupelets, and is rather fuzzy to the touch and tongue.[2][5][6][7][8]

This species is occasionally referred to as thimbleberry,[9][10][11] a name more commonly associated with fellow North American species Rubus parviflorus.

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Cultivation and uses

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Rubus odoratus is widely grown as an ornamental plant for its conspicuous flowers with a long flowering period. This plant likes partial shade, rich, slightly acid soil and moderate water. It is locally naturalized in parts of Washington state[12] and also in Europe, notably south eastern England.[2]

References

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  1. ^ The Plant List, Rubus odoratus L.
  2. ^ a b c Clive Stace, R. van der Meijden, I. de Kort, no date. Flora of NW Europe. entry for Rubus odoratus Archived 2013-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b c "Rubus odoratus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map".
  5. ^ "Rubus odoratus". Wildflowers of the Southeastern United States. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
  6. ^ Bioimages: Rubus odoratus Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Blanchan, Neltje (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
  8. ^ Flora of North America, Rubus odoratus Linnaeus 1753
  9. ^ "Rubus odoratus — flowering raspberry". Native Plant Trust.
  10. ^ "Rubus odoratus | flowering raspberry". RHS.
  11. ^ "Rubus odoratus". Plant Database. University of Texas.
  12. ^ "Rubus odoratus". USDA Plants Profile.
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