Sign 17
Red Raspberry ‘Heritage’
Rubus
idaeus ‘Heritage’
- Bloom Time:
- Spring & Summer
- Family:
- Rose (Rosaceae)
- Form:
- Shrub, Deciduous
Shrub
Description: The Heritage Red Raspberry blooms in late spring and again in summer, producing flower clusters that attract bees, birds, and butterflies. Its canes grow approximately 5-6’ tall, and the patch spreads wide.
Raspberries have been gathered since prehistoric times and cultivated since Roman times. Raspberry leaf tea is an ancient herbal remedy, traditionally used for women’s health. The vitamin-rich berries remain beloved fresh, in jams, and baked into pies.
Photo: Rest-Stop-Ranch
More plant info
What to look for
Heritage gives two crops: a small one in early summer on last year’s canes, and a larger one from late August until frost on the new canes that grew that same year. The canes stand upright and sturdy.
The story behind it
Heritage was released in 1969 by Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, after it was selected from just 32 seedlings in 1960. It became the most widely grown fall-bearing red raspberry in the world; by the early 1990s most fresh raspberries sold in northern markets in winter were Heritage berries grown in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly Chile.
Growing it at home
For one large fall crop, mow or cut all the canes to the ground in late winter. Plants bear fruit the first year after planting.
Sources
Guided tours of the arboretum are free, by appointment. Text Mary at 978-887-4202.