Rubus innominatus

Rubus innominatus
(c) MP Zhou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by MP Zhou

At a glance

Lifecycle
Perennial (hardy)
Exposure
Full sun

Cultivation

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Closely related to R. kuntzeanus. This species is a raspberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked.

Material uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Habitat

Forests on mountain slopes, thickets, roadsides, streamsides, riversides in montane valleys at elevations of 400 - 2500 metres.

Native range

E. Asia - China.

Same genus