Wild Red Raspberry vs Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry) - TreeTime.ca

Wild Red Raspberry vs Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry)

Rubus idaeus

Rubus pubescens

Wild Red Raspberry
Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry)

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.

Dewberry (Rubus pubescens) is a native, low-growing perennial that spreads by creeping stems to form a natural groundcover. In spring, it bears small white flowers that attract pollinators, followed by bright red edible berries resembling tiny raspberries. They are an important food source for birds and mammals.

Widespread across Canada, Dewberry serves as a larval host plant for butterflies such as the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), adding to its ecological value. It is a suitable choice for naturalization, pollinator gardens, habitat plantings, and ecological restoration projects.

Wild Red Raspberry Quick Facts

Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry) Quick Facts

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Zone: 4a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, trailing
Spreading: stolons - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: reddish or purplish
Flowers: white
Flowers: small, white
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Fruit: small, tart
Berries: red, edible
Harvest: mid-summer
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: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: american red raspberry, common red raspberry, european red raspberry, grayleaf red raspberry, red raspberry
Other Names: creeping red raspberry, dwarf raspberry, dwarf red blackberry, dwarf red raspberry, trailing raspberry