Common Name: creeping raspberry
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Rosaceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 0.25 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 5.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to July
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize
Leaf: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy, Edible
Tolerate: Erosion
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist, loamy, well-draining soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a range of growing conditions including shallow, rocky soils as long as they are well-draining. Can be grown in dappled shade but flower and fruit production will be less than with more sun. Cool summer climates are preferred. Afternoon sun will be appreciated in climates with hot, humid summers. Hardy in Zones 7-10.
'Emerald Carpet' offers improved cold tolerance compared to the species and is hardy in Zones 6-9.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Rubus rolfei, commonly called creeping raspberry, is a low-growing, evergreen to semi-evergreen subshrub native to Taiwan and the Philippines where it grows in mid to high altitude mixed forest openings at 4,500-12,000' above sea level. Mature plants will reach around 1' tall and spread to fill a 4-6' area with a creeping, scrambling growth habit. The young shoots are densely covered in yellow hairs and a few small prickles. The leaves are round, reaching 0.75-2" across with 3-5 shallow lobes and undulating, serrated to scalloped margins. The surface of the leaves has a stiff and crinkled texture. White, 0.5" wide, summer blooms are followed by small aggregate fruits that typically mature to yellow or orange but red and pink tones are also possible. The edible fruits are attractive to birds and other fauna. Synonymous with Rubus calycinoides, R. hayata-koidzumii, and R. pentalobus.
Genus name is the Latin name for brambles (blackberry and raspberry).
The specific epithet rolfei honors Robert Allen Rolfe (1855-1921), English botanist and orchid curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The common name creeping raspberry refers to the growth habit of this species.
'Emerald Carpet' is a compact creeping raspberry selection that features small leaves and prickless stems. Mature plants will spread to fill a 3-5' area. The foliage will turn shades of burgundy red in fall. The fruit matures to orange.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note.
Uses
Ground cover for mixed beds, borders, rock gardens, underplanting trees and shrubs, large containers. Use on slopes or allow to cascade over retaining walls. Vigorous spreader that can grow 1' per year and can scramble into nearby shrubs if left unattended.