Thimbleberry vs Wild Red Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Wild Red Raspberry

Rubus parviflorus

Rubus idaeus

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Thimbleberry
Wild Red Raspberry

Thimbleberry is an ornamental shrub with large, green maple-like-leaves. Flowers are attractive, fragrant, and turn into red-raspberry-like berries. The berries are good for jams, cakes, breads, muffins etc. If you remove the berry, the core resembles a thimble, giving this shrub its namesake.

The Wild Red Raspberry produces small, tart, red berries. They are delicious when eaten fresh, but also add flavor to preserves or desserts. They are highly suckering and can be high yielding.

The Wild Red Raspberry is also otherwise known as the American Red Raspberry, European Red Raspberry, Grayleaf Raspberry, or the Common Red Raspberry.

The Wild Red Raspberry are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Wild Red Raspberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, showy
Flowers: white
Fruit: small, tart
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, ON
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry
Other Names: american red raspberry, common red raspberry, european red raspberry, grayleaf red raspberry, red raspberry