Oregon Grape vs Coho Raspberry

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

Coho Raspberry is a high-yielding raspberry that is known for having large, very firm berries. They are bright red with a great flavour. Their firmness allows for easy picking and makes them well suited for freezing. They are one of the last raspberries to ripen, allowing for fresh berries later in the season.

They are named after the Coho Salmon which are known for their bright red colouring and late spawning runs.

The Coho Raspberry is a fast-growing floricane. This means that raspberries will not grow on canes the year they first grow. The mature canes they do grow on, however, produce more berries than primocane varieties.

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