Purple Flowering Raspberry

The Purple Flowering Raspberry, or Rubus odoratus, produces an edible fruit, but this plant is often grown for its ornamental value. This fast-growing spreader reaches 6 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Fragrant 5-petaled, pinkish-purple flowers bloom in the spring and summer. The showy flowers measure 1 to 3 inches wide and grow from thornless stems. Fuzzy, purplish-red raspberries emerge during the summer. Green palmately lobed leaves turn golden yellow in the fall. This deciduous shrub is native to the eastern side of North America and grows in zones 3 through 8.Purple Flowering Raspberry Care  The Purple Flowering Raspberry needs full sun to part shade to grow well. A spot that receives morning sun and afternoon shade is best. This shrub prefers sandy, well-drained soil. It naturally spreads, so select a spot with plenty of room, but plan to cut the plant back when it starts to outgrow its space. Regular pruning is necessary to control the size and remove suckers. Prune this shrub after the fruit fades.Growing Purple Flowering Raspberry Plant Purple Flowering Raspberry in the spring, and the plant will likely bloom the first year but expect more abundant flowers and fruit by the second year. This is a fast-growing shrub that will quickly reach maturity.Grow Purple Flowering Raspberry in a landscape or container to enjoy the fragrant blooms on a porch or patio. The upright growth habit makes this plant a thriller. Choose a container at least two inches larger than the root ball and repot when growth slows, or the roots grow through the drainage holes in the container.Watering Purple Flowering Raspberry This flowering raspberry shrub has average water needs. New plants need consistent water for the first year. Established plants only need water during a dry period.Feeding Purple Flowering Raspberry Fertilize raspberry shrubs in the spring. New plants benefit from a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potassium, while established plants need a balanced plant food or a layer of organic compost.Images courtesy of the US Department of AgriculturePurple Flowering Raspberry InformationUSDA Hardiness Zones: 3 – 8Plant Type: BushesLight Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun (At Least 3 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)Mature Height: 3 – 6 FeetMature Spread: 4 – 8 FeetSpacing: 4 – 8 FeetHabit: SpreadingFlower Color(s): PurpleFlower Description: Bloom Period: Spring, SummerFoliage Type: DeciduousFoliage Color(s): GreenFoliage Description: Seasonal Interest: Spring Flowering, Summer FloweringWatering: AverageResists: DiseaseTolerates: HeatAttracts: Bees, Birds, HummingbirdsContainer Role: Uses: GroundcoversFeatures: Attracts Pollinators, Low MaintenanceBrand: Common Name: Purple Flowering RaspberryOther Name(s): Scientific Name: Rubus odoratus