Rubus loganobaccus

A deciduous shrub growing to 2.5 m tall and wide at a fast rate, hardy to UK zone 8 and frost-hardy. Flowers June to July with seeds ripening July to August. Reproduces apomictically and is self-fertile. Accommodates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and basic soils. Grows in semi-shade (light woodland) or full sun and prefers moist soil.

Description

A scrambling shrub. It grows 1.2-1.8 m high and spreads 0.6-0.9 m wide. Plants can be thorny or thornless. The leaves are large, soft and compound. The leaves have 3-5 leaflets. The flowers are white. The fruit are like cylinders but taper. They are red.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and has a pleasant acid flavour, typically producing heavy crops. The fruit grows up to 4cm in diameter.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a cool temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 4-7. In Hobart Botanical gardens.

Where It Grows

Australia, Britain, Europe, North America, Tasmania, USA,

Cultivation

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Tolerates all but the most alkaline soils. Plants dislike exposed windy situations. Hardy to about -18°c. Often cultivated for its edible fruit in temperate countries, there are some named varieties, including forms with thornless stems. 'LY654' is a thornless form with good flavour. This species has fast-growing biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. The plant produces apomictic flowers, these produce fruit and viable seed without fertilization, each seedling is a genetic copy of the parent. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Closely related to R. ursinus. Plants are liable to attacks of raspberry cane spot and mildew, otherwise they are one of the most reliable of the fruiting members of this genus.

Propagation

Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame, then plant out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July, planting out in autumn. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Production

Plants are slow to establish and to crop.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 250 Rubus species. This is a hybrid from crossing loganberry, raspberry and blackberry.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Walter Siegmund (talk)

Safe

Loganberry

Rubus loganobaccus

(c) stevethesnakeguy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.

Loganberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

Nutrition

Synonyms

References (10)

• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1284
• Gentes Herb. 1:155. 1923
• Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1736, 1803
• Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 207
• Macmillan, H.F. (Revised Barlow, H.S., et al) 1991, Tropical Planting and Gardening. Sixth edition. Malayan Nature Society. Kuala Lumpur. p 319

More from Rosaceae

Crataegus cuneata

Chinese Hill Haw, Chinese Hawthorn, Red haw

Crataegus cuprina

Crataegus dilatata

Broadleaf Hawthorn, Apple-leaf hawthorn

Crataegus dispessa

Mink Hawthorn

Crataegus dolosa

Crataegus douglasii

Black hawthorn