By Gary Wade
University of Georgia
Most landscapes have difficult sites, like hot, dry, erodible
slopes or ditches where soil moisture fluctuates from very wet
to
very dry. Not many plants tolerate conditions like these. But
creeping raspberry (Rubus pentalobus) not only survives
there but thrives.
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Creeping raspberry is a fast-growing evergreen ground cover
imported from Taiwan. It grows 3 to 6 inches high and spreads 3
to 6 feet in all directions.
As the name implies, creeping raspberry creeps along the ground
by forming runners, much like strawberries, which root at their
nodes and establish new colonies.
It’s aggressive, but creeping raspberry isn’t invasive. It
doesn’t climb trees or smother nearby shrubs. And you can easily
control it with mechanical edging.
Great foliage
Creeping raspberry has coarse-textured leaves with deep veins
that make them puckered. They’re about 1.5 inches across and
have 3 to 5 lobes. In the spring and summer, the leaves are
shiny, dark green above and gray-green below. They turn burgundy
in fall and winter.
Its white, midsummer flowers get lost in the foliage. Tiny,
raspberry-like fruits followed the flowers in late summer. The
fruits are edible and tasty, but they’re tiny, so don’t expect
an
abundant harvest. Fruiting isn’t one of the plant’s strong
points.
Plant creeping raspberry plants 4 to 6 feet apart to allow them
plenty of room to spread. A full-sun site is best, although
plants will adapt to partial shade. Don’t plant them in wet
soils
or areas that may get too much irrigation. Wet soils or overhead
irrigation will make the plants look ragged.
Good for Georgia
Creeping raspberry does well in most of Georgia. It’s hardy in
zones 7 to 9. In the mountains, winter hardiness may be a
problem. It has excellent pest resistance and deer tolerance.
If a harsh winter leaves the foliage a little rough, a light
trimming with the lawn mower in mid-March will encourage a new
growth flush in the spring.
To help it establish fast, apply a granular fertilizer such as
16-4-8 or 12-4-8 in early spring. Apply it when the foliage is
dry, and sweep or rake excess granules off the leaves. Then
water
to wash off any residual fertilizer.
Creeping Raspberry can be propagated by separating a rooted
runner from the mother plant.
It’s not just for ditches or slopes. Creeping Raspberry looks
particularly nice in a raised bed or planter if you let it
cascade over a wall or container.
(Gary Wade is an Extension Service horticulturist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
