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Rubus deliciosus - Torr.

Rocky Mountain Raspberry

Author	Torr.	Botanical references	11, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Rubus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Western N. America - Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.
Habitat	Scrub and rocky slopes in the Rocky mountains[184].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 3m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; North Wall By; East Wall By;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[183]. The fruit is not highly valued[183]. It is delicious[2]. Dry and of no flavour[1, 11]. The fruit is rather on the dry side and has lots of seeds to very little flesh, but the flavour is delicious[K]. The hemispherical fruit is about 15mm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Dye.

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[168].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers have a delicious perfume[245].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[184]. A very ornamental plant[1, 11], it is hardy to about -20°c[184]. The flowers have a delicious perfume[245]. This species is very closely related to R. trilobus[200]. The plant has perennial stems and should not be pruned like normal raspberries[200]. Instead it is sufficient to prune out any dead stems. There are no prickles on the stems[200]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

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[200]. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[200].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Woodland Garden Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Rubus deliciosus

Gerald Moore Sat Apr 22 2006

Where can I buy a start of Rubus deliciosus?

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