Rubus biflorus
| Rubus biflorus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 11' |
| Width: | 11' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rubus biflorus
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[1].
Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[2][3][1].
Hardy to about -15°c[4]. Another report suggests that the plant will only succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country[1].
The plant has ornamental white canes but it needs plenty of space and is not a good neighbour because of its prickly stems[5].
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[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat: Scrub, forest edges and open slopes, 1800 - 3300 metres[6][4]. Valleys, riversides, slopes, roadsides, thickets, forests and forest margins at elevations of 1500 - 3500 metres[7].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[8][3][6][9][10]. The yellow fruit is pleasantly flavoured[2]. Sweetish[11]. The fruit is about 20mm in diameter[1].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[12].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.