Raspberries (Rubus idaeus), a bramble fruit, grow in dense, thorny thickets, but regular pruning keeps them neat and contained. Most raspberry bushes have thorns, but some cultivated varieties are thornless. Hardiness varies by cultivar and extends from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9.
Raspberries are a member of the Rosaceae, or rose, plant family. Like roses, most raspberries have sharp thorns on their canes. Raspberry shrubs are similar than blackberries, but rather than the single, sharp thorns on blackberry canes, raspberry thorns tend to be denser creating a "fuzzy" appearance. Though "fuzzy," the thorns are sharp. Wear gloves and eye protection when pruning or harvesting in the raspberry patch to avoid injury.
Raspberry Plant Characteristics
Growing between 2 and 9 feet tall, depending on the variety, raspberry shrubs provide tasty fruits in summer. The plants are biennial, producing canes that bear fruit in the second year. Delicate white or pale pink flowers bloom in spring, followed by berries in summer and into fall. The specific harvest time varies among varieties. Raspberries grow well in full sun and slightly acidic soil. Dwarf varieties can be grown in pots or hanging planters.
Horticulturalists breed plants for specific characteristics. Most raspberry varieties grown specifically for a large fruit crop have thorns, but if you want a more friendly shrub, choose a thornless variety. "Raspberry Shortcake" is a thornless dwarf variety that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and produces edible berries. The more standard 4- to 6-foot-tall "Canby Red" cultivar has canes that are almost thornless.
When planting raspberries, position them in the soil so the base of the stems and the crown is 1 inch below the soil line. Space multiple plants three to four feet apart. Prune in late winter to remove all canes that produced fruit the season before. These old canes will not produce fruit again. Apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer in spring. Use fertilizers as directed on the package label.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images