Japanese Raspberry
Rubus parvifolius

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Rubus parvifolius is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Roadsides and waste ground in lowlands and low mountains in Japan. Mainly found in wet sclerophyll forests in eastern Australia.

E. Asia - China, Japan. Australia.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc. Juicy. A good flavour. The fruit is small, though the individual druplets are quite large. The young plant is used as a substitute for tea.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The leaves and the root are astringent. A decoction of the leaves or the root is used in the treatment of skin diseases and as a stimulant to blood circulation.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Other

Rating: 2

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. The stems and roots are a source of tannin.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

How it is grown

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Cultivated for its edible fruit in Asia, there are some named varieties. 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. This species appears to hybridise in the wild with R. hillii. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 0-0

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

R. chinensis. R. triphyllus.