Black raspberry | The Morton Arboretum

Family (English) Rose
Family (botanic) Rosaceae
Tree or plant type Shrub
Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
Native locale Chicago area, Illinois, North America
Size range Small shrub (3-5 feet), Medium shrub (5-8 feet)
Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily), Full shade (4 hrs or less of light daily)
Hardiness zones Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7, Zone 8
Soil preference Acid soil
Tolerances Alkaline soil, clay soil, Occasional drought, Occasional flooding
Season of interest early winter, midwinter, late winter, late spring, early summer, late summer, early fall, mid fall
Flower color and fragrance White
Shape or form Arching, Multi-stemmed, Thicket-forming, Upright
Growth rate Fast

Native geographic location and habitat:

Black raspberry is native throughout the Midwest and eastern United States. C-Value: 2

Attracts birds, pollinators, or wildlife:

Birds are attracted to fruits.

Bark color and texture:

New canes are purplish-red with an abundance of white glaucous bloom and hooked prickles. Canes lack terminal buds and readily root at the tips when they contact the ground.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture:

Alternate, palmately compound, 3 to 5 inches long and wide. The three to five leaflets have serrated margins. Petioles have small prickles. Leaf color is two-toned; light green above, and paler (nearly white) below.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size:

The flower has five petals which are short, 1/2 inch long, and greenish-white. Black raspberry flowers appear in late spring.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:

The fruit is juicy, red turning to black, multiple of drupes that are 1/2 inch across and ripen in mid summer. When black raspberries are picked they separate from the fleshy core forming a hollow shell.