Strawberry-raspberry is a deciduous perennial thorny shrub in the Roseaecae family that is native to Japan. It is typically found in thickets and disturbed areas. It can become weedy and spread freely in a hospitable site. It grows well in sandy to medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers moist, well-drained soil. The plant requires full sun but tolerates light shade. The plant flowers in early summer and the seeds ripen into fruit in late summer. Some report that the fruit is sweet and edible raw or cooked. Others feel the fruit is sour or bitter and inedible. The flavor seems to improve when the fruit is cooked. Information on blackberry cultivation for home gardeners is available in the NC State Extension publication Raspberries in the Home Gaden Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Other than honey fungus, to which most Rubus species are susceptible, there are few problems. More information on Rubus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf feel
Prickly
Hairs present
Yes
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers are produced either one at a time or in clumps of 2-3, each with 5 petals longer than those of most related species. Blooms from April to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruits are unusually large for the genus, each oblong, red, up to 3⁄4 inch long with 50–100 drupelets. Fruit has a sweet taste, although some feel the fruit is insipid when eaten raw.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
East Asia and Japan
Wildlife value
This plant provides nectar for pollinators.
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Fruit is edible, either raw or cooked, and cooking the berries is said to improve the flavor.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Edible Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Barrier; Hedge
Garden tags
#deciduous #thorns #pollinator plant #nectar plant early summer #nectar plant late spring #nectar plant mid-spring #showy fruits #wildlife friendly #weedy