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Rubus occidentalis
Also called Thimbleberry, Blackcap
Black raspberry is a deciduous, thorny bramble shrub native to eastern North America, grown for its dark edible berries. It is best grown in full sun on well-drained soil, with canes trained on a support and pruned after fruiting.
Rubus occidentalis is a species of bramble native to eastern North America. Its common name black raspberry is shared with other closely related species. Other names include bear's eye blackberry, black cap, black cap raspberry, and scotch cap.
A center for black raspberry cultivation is in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The main cultivar is 'Munger'. Other cultivars include 'Allen', 'Blackhawk', 'Bristol', 'Cumberland', 'Dundee', 'Hanover', 'Huron', 'Jewel', 'John Robertson', 'Logan', 'Macblack', 'Morrison', 'Munger', and 'Plum Farmer'. The plants are summer tipped by hand, mechanically pruned in winter and then machine harvested. The yields are generally low per acre and this is why the fruits are often expensive.
The species has been used in the breeding of many Rubus hybrids; those between red and black raspberries are common under the name purple raspberries; 'Brandywine', 'Royalty', and 'Estate' are examples of purple raspberry cultivars. Wild purple raspberries have also been found in various places in northeastern North America where the two parental species co-occur and occasionally hybridize naturally.
The plant is native to eastern North America, with a range as far east as New Brunswick, as far west as Nebraska, as far north as Quebec, and as far south as Mississippi. It grows in disturbed areas, especially those that are logged or cut. It is also found in meadows, and near streams and lakes, trails or roadways.
The berries are edible raw and can be made into jams and jellies. They have a high content of anthocyanins.
Garden dewberry · Allegheny blackberry · Arctic blackberry · Giant Blackberry · Rubus biflorus · Dewberry · Cloudberry · White Stemmed Bramble · Korean Bramble · Rubus coriaceus · Korean Raspberry · Holy Bramble
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rubus occidentalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
