Thimbleberry vs Heritage Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Heritage Raspberry

Rubus x Heritage

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Heritage Raspberry
Thimbleberry

The Heritage Raspberry is a deciduous thorny shrub that produces two crops in the year: a moderate one in early summer followed by a heavier harvest in the fall. This plant blooms with white, rose-like flowers and fruits with extra-sweet, dark red berries that are great for fresh eating, canning or freezing.

The Heritage Raspberry is a primocane-fruiting variety, meaning that it produces fruit on first years' growth. Prune stalks down each winter or early spring to get higher fruit yields and easier harvesting.

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.

Heritage Raspberry Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: red
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Fruit size: large
Flavor: extra-sweet
Harvest: June-July, September to October
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, ON
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry