Rubus illecebrosus

Strawberry raspberry is a Japanese species, cultivated more in Europe and naturalized sparsely in America. It produces large, bright red, edible berries combining shape of a strawberry and taste of a somewhat sharper raspberry, pleasantly sweet and sour. Some say that the fruit develops richer taste when cooked. Berries mature from early August until mid to late September and lack aroma.

It is a moderately thorny shrub with somewhat arching branches that often die back to the ground during winter and re-emerge from the ground in spring. Its size is about 50-60 cm, alternatively twice as much when the branches from previous year remain unharmed after winter. If cut back every spring it can ground as a groundcover. It grows in sun or partial shade and does best in fertile, evenly moist soil. Very hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 01-03-2018.