Rubus deliciosus

Rubus deliciosus
Cultivated in Sweden
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Species:
R. deliciosus
Binomial name
Rubus deliciosus
Torr. 1827
Synonyms[1]
  • Bossekia deliciosa A.Nelson
  • Oreobatus deliciosus (Torr.) Rydb.
  • Rubus odoratus var. deliciosus (Torr.) Kuntze
  • Rubus roezlii Regel

Rubus deliciosus is a North American species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the United States. Common names include the delicious raspberry,[2] boulder raspberry,[3] Rocky Mountain raspberry[4] or snowy bramble.[5]

Fruit

Description[edit]

Rubus deliciosus is a deciduous shrub or vine growing to 1.5 m (5 ft), rarely 3 m (10 ft), with arching stems. Unlike many species of Rubus, the flowering stems are perennial. The bark is flaky and peeling. The leaves are simple (not compound, like most other species in the genus), 3.3–5 cm long and broad, with three shallowly rounded lobes (occasionally unlobed or five-lobed), becoming glabrous beneath. The flowers are 3.8–6 cm diameter, fragrant, with five white petals 1.5–3 cm across.

The fruit is dark red, 10–13 mm diameter; it is rather dry and not highly valued, but the flavor is said to be delicious.[6][7][8] The wild forms generally have unappealing fruit.[9]

Distribution[edit]

It inhabits scrub and rocky slopes[10][6][11] in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, New Mexico, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and Wyoming. There are also reports of isolated populations in the Texas Panhandle and in the Black Hills of South Dakota.[12]

Cultivation[edit]

Rubus deliciosus requires well drained soil in full sun. It is hardy to USDA zone #5 (-20 °F; -29 °C). It is propagated by cuttings in July or August.[8]

Hybrids[edit]

It has been hybridized in cultivation with the very closely related (and possibly conspecific) Rubus trilobus of southern Mexico. This hybrid was introduced by the English plant collector Collingwood Ingram as R. × tridel (Flowering bramble). It is popular as an ornamental plant in gardens, having larger flowers up to 8 cm diameter.[13]
The cultivar R. × tridel 'Benenden' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Plant List, Rubus deliciosus Torr.
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rubus deliciosus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. ^ Robertson, L.; Squires, D.B.; Association, R.M.N. (1999), Southern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Common Wildflowers, Shrubs, and Trees, Falcon, ISBN 978-1-56044-624-8
  4. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ^ Lavallée, A. (1880), "Rubus deliciosus", The Garden, 17: 48
  6. ^ a b Oklahoma Biological Survey: Rubus deliciosus
  7. ^ Rocky Mountain Native Plants Company: Rubus deliciosus
  8. ^ a b Phillips. R. & Rix. M. (1989). Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 978-0-330-30258-6.
  9. ^ Weber, W.A. 1976. Rocky Mountain flora: A field guide for the identification of the Ferns, Conifers, and Flowering Plants of the Southern Rocky Mountains from Pikes Peak to Rocky Mountain National Park and from the Plains to the Continental Divide. University Press of Colorado, Niwot, CO.
  10. ^ USDA Plants Profile: Rubus deliciosus
  11. ^ Weber, W.A. & Wittmann, R.C. 1992. Catalog of the Colorado flora: a biodiversity baseline. University of Colorado Press, Niwot, Co. The Colorado Catalog – Online Version Archived 2010-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map".
  13. ^ National Museums Northern Ireland: Ornamental Bramble
  14. ^ "RHS Plant Selector – Rubus 'Benenden'". Retrieved 17 February 2021.

External links[edit]