Flowering Raspberry vs Porthos Cherry - TreeTime.ca

Flowering Raspberry vs Porthos Cherry

Rubus odoratus

Prunus cerasus Porthos

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Flowering Raspberry
Porthos Cherry

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.

Porthos Cherry is a cold-hardy dwarf sour cherry that features white spring flowers followed by large, dark red fruit in mid-to-late summer. Among sour cherries, Porthos is exceptionally sweet with well-balanced acidity. These cherries are ideal for fresh eating, freezing, baking, winemaking, and preserves.

Porthos Cherry was developed by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program as part of the Musketeer series and released in 2022. They recommended growing dwarf sour cherries as a shrub rather than a small tree. The shrub form tends to bear fruit earlier and is less susceptible to winterkill.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting with additional varieties for cross-pollination can increase yields.

Flowering Raspberry Quick Facts

Porthos Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Light: any
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: semi upright, compact
Spreading: suckering - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: high
Maintenance: medium


Bark: thornless orange
Flowers: purple
Flowers: white
Bloom time: mid to late spring
Fruit: deep red
Berries: red to purple, seedy
Firmness: firm
Flavor: tasteless
Flavor: sweet with balanced acidity
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS
Other Names: purple-flowered raspberry, virginia raspberry
Other Names: porthos sour cherry