Rubus odoratus
Origin: Pennsylvania
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~50
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Purple-flowering raspberry, also sometimes called eastern thimbleberry, is a beautiful broad-leafed shrub with purplish-pink flowers followed by delicious, nearly-flat, tiny-seeded red fruit. The fruit are slightly smaller and considered less flavorful than the western thimbleberry, but I've had some that are equally delicious (if not more so!) — and, besides, that species has white flowers, which are far less exciting and beautiful than this species' lovely purple flowers! This species is also, of course, better adapted to the eastern half of the country. In general, both types prefers moist & semi-shaded positions, and can often be found growing on slopes, roadsides, or even cliffs.
In addition to being used as a food — the berries are usually cooked into jellies, jams, or pies, though they can also be enjoyed raw or dried for future use — the plant is also highly medicinal. The leaves are astringent, and used in the treatment of dystentery, diarrhoea, sores, boils, and kidney complaints. The root is also astringent and has been used against colds, stomach complaints, and toothaches. A purple to dull blue dye can be derived from the fruit.
We got these Pennsylvania-grown seeds from the good folks at Sheffield's Seed in Locke, NY.
GROWING TIPS: Pour near-boiling water over seeds, soak 24 hours, then cold-moist stratify 90 days. (May require warm period too and not sprout for a year.) Hardy in USDA Zones 3-7.
