Red Raspberry

Rosaceae

LIFE FORM: Shrub

NATIVITY: Eastern North America

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

Grows 4 to 6 feet tall with alternate, compound leaves with 3 to 5 leaflets, pale green above, whitish below; canes silvery-white, covered with soft spines.

FLOWERS:

Flowers with small petals in summer.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Red berries produced in late summer; dispersed by birds.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

Minimally maintained public parks and open space; vacant lots and waste dumps; woodlands that develop on abandoned open space; railroad tracks with ballast substrate.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Drought tolerance on compacted soils; food and/or habitat for wildlife; erosion control on slopes.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Fruits are delicious and excellent for jam.