Flowering Raspberry vs Marsh Cinquefoil - TreeTime.ca

Flowering Raspberry vs Marsh Cinquefoil

Comarum palustre

Rubus odoratus

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Marsh Cinquefoil
Flowering Raspberry

Marsh Cinquefoil is a native perennial wetland plant with striking reddish-purple, star-shaped flowers. They bloom in early to mid-summer, providing nectar for bees, flies, and other pollinators. Beyond its summer blooms, the foliage turns red in autumn, adding seasonal interest to wetland landscapes.

Common in wetlands, pond margins, and wet meadows, Marsh Cinquefoil spreads by rhizomes to form colonies or patches that contribute to shoreline stabilization. It thrives in nutrient-poor, saturated soils where many other plants struggle, making it valuable in challenging wetland conditions. With its ecological function and ornamental appeal, it is well-suited for wetland plantings, ecological restoration, and naturalized projects.

The Flowering Raspberry is an ornamental shrubby plant that blooms with fragrant light purple flowers throughout the summer and has a large, decorative foliage of bright green leaves. The flowers resemble that of a wildrose, and the foliage turns a bright yellow in the fall. This cultivar produces small red raspberries, similar to that of a thimbleberry, but the fruit is mostly tasteless.

The Flowering Raspberry, also known as Virginia Raspberry or Purple-Flowered Raspberry, makes a great hedge plant and is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard.

Marsh Cinquefoil Quick Facts

Flowering Raspberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - medium
Suckering: high


Bark: thornless orange
Flowers: dark red/maroon, star-shaped
Flowers: purple
Bloom time: summer
Berries: red to purple, seedy
Firmness: firm
Flavor: tasteless
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: ON, QC, NS
Other Names: marsh five fingers, purple cinquefoil, purple marshlocks
Other Names: purple-flowered raspberry, virginia raspberry