Purple Flowering Raspberry -- Rubus odoratus at Wild Cherry Farm
Purple Flowering Raspberry -- Rubus odoratus at Wild Cherry Farm

Purple Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)

$8.00
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The Rubus spp. is a wildlife rockstar in general. Although I could not find a ton of species-specific information, I assume Purple Flowering Raspberry has many of the same attributes. Its big, attractive, rose-like flowers attract a variety of native bees, butterflies, and skippers (illinoiswildflowers.info). It is the host plant to 156 species of butterflies and moths (Johnson and Colla, 2023) (nwf.org), including a species of concern, the Yellow-Banded day-sphinx (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). Purple Flowering Raspberry is an attractive shrub that is thornless, has nice foliage, and edible berries (though they are not as good as their cousins that you see in the grocery store) that birds seem to enjoy. This awesome plant is thicket-forming and is best suited for those partly shaded areas where it is allowed plenty of room to spread, so choose your spot wisely. It is partially self-fertile, but does better with more plants around.

Photo credit: delirium florens

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The Rubus spp. is a wildlife rockstar in general. Although I could not find a ton of species-specific information, I assume Purple Flowering Raspberry has many of the same attributes. Its big, attractive, rose-like flowers attract a variety of native bees, butterflies, and skippers (illinoiswildflowers.info). It is the host plant to 156 species of butterflies and moths (Johnson and Colla, 2023) (nwf.org), including a species of concern, the Yellow-Banded day-sphinx (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). Purple Flowering Raspberry is an attractive shrub that is thornless, has nice foliage, and edible berries (though they are not as good as their cousins that you see in the grocery store) that birds seem to enjoy. This awesome plant is thicket-forming and is best suited for those partly shaded areas where it is allowed plenty of room to spread, so choose your spot wisely. It is partially self-fertile, but does better with more plants around.

Photo credit: delirium florens

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Partial shade-Shade

Soil Moisture: Medium/wet – Medium

Height: 5-8 feet

Plant Spacing: 4-6 feet

Bloom Time: May-June

Bloom Color: Pinkish purple

Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Recommended but vigorous

Host Plant: 156 species of butterflies and moths use Rubus as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Specialist Bee: Andrena melanochroa (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Beneficial for Threatened or Species of Concern: Yellow-banded day-sphinx (Proserpinus flavofasciata) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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