Raspberry

Heritage

Self-fertile

Chill

400–800 hrs

Ripens

Late Aug through frost

Zones

4-9

Disease

moderate; susceptible to Phytophthora root rot on wet soils, so needs well-drained ground

Size

erect 4-6 ft, largely self-supporting

medium firm berries, mild-sweet; excellent for freezing and jam — The benchmark fall-bearer: mow all canes to the ground in late winter for one easy, reliable primocane crop. As a primocane-fruiting type its effective chill requirement is low; published chill figures for raspberries are inexact.

Caroline

Self-fertile

Chill

200–500 hrs

Ripens

Aug through frost

Zones

4-9

Disease

good; more root-rot tolerant than Heritage but drought-sensitive

Size

vigorous erect 4-6 ft

large berries with rich, intense flavor; among the best-tasting fall reds — Best flavor of the fall-bearing reds and more root-rot tolerant than Heritage, but it needs steady moisture and well-drained soil. Widely adapted, low effective chill (nurseries cite ~200 c.u.).

Latham

Self-fertile

Chill

800–1200 hrs

Ripens

Mid-July

Zones

3-8

Disease

moderate; mosaic-tolerant heirloom, berries can be soft

Size

vigorous upright 4-6 ft

soft, mild classic raspberry; good fresh and for jam — Extremely cold-hardy 1920s University of Minnesota heirloom that reliably fruits through Upper-Midwest winters. Summer floricane type; exact chill figure is uncertain.

Boyne

Self-fertile

Chill

800–1200 hrs

Ripens

Early-mid July

Zones

3-8

Disease

good; very hardy, some anthracnose susceptibility

Size

compact 3-5 ft

aromatic sweet-tart; excellent for jam and freezing — One of the hardiest summer reds (a Manitoba release), thriving where winters reach zone 3. Chill figure approximate.

Nova

Also known as Nova Red

Self-fertile

Chill

700–1200 hrs

Ripens

Early July

Zones

3-8

Disease

good; tolerant of common cane diseases

Size

erect 4-5 ft, nearly thornless

firm, bright, slightly tart berries with long shelf life — Hardy, nearly spine-free summer red from Nova Scotia (AAFC Kentville); tolerates cold winters well. Chill figure approximate.

Prelude

Self-fertile

Chill

600–1000 hrs

Ripens

Late June-early July, small fall crop

Zones

4-8

Disease

good (Phytophthora root-rot resistant)

Size

moderately vigorous 4-6 ft

good early flavor, medium-firm berries — Earliest-ripening summer red (a Cornell release) plus a bonus fall crop, with strong resistance to root rot. Chill figure approximate.

Joan J

Self-fertile

Chill

500–900 hrs

Ripens

Aug through frost

Zones

4-9

Disease

good; vigorous and productive

Size

erect 4-5 ft, spineless

large, sweet, firm berries — Spine-free canes and heat tolerance make it an easy-picking, high-yield fall raspberry. Primocane-fruiting; chill figure approximate.

Anne

Also known as Golden Anne

Self-fertile

Chill

400–800 hrs

Ripens

Sept-Oct

Zones

5-9

Disease

moderate

Size

tall 4-6 ft

pale-gold berries, sweet with an apricot note; dessert quality — Prized sweet golden dessert berry; a late-fall primocane type whose canes may need winter protection at the cold edge of its range. Low effective chill; figure approximate.

Jewel

Also known as Jewel Black

Self-fertile

Chill

600–1000 hrs

Ripens

Early-mid July

Zones

4-8

Disease

good for a black raspberry (relatively disease-resistant)

Size

arching 4-6 ft canes that tip-root

rich, sweet true black-raspberry flavor; firm — The standard black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis), more disease-resistant and productive than older types. Chill figure approximate.

Royalty

Self-fertile

Chill

700–1000 hrs

Ripens

Late July-Aug

Zones

4-8

Disease

good; resistant to the large raspberry aphid that spreads mosaic

Size

vigorous tall 5-7 ft

large, very sweet purple berries; best cooked or as jam, mild when fresh — Ultra-hardy purple hybrid (R. idaeus x R. occidentalis) with huge yields, at its best in jam, pies, and freezing. Chill figure approximate.

Dorman Red

Also known as Dormanred

Self-fertile

Chill

200–400 hrs

Ripens

June-July

Zones

6-9

Disease

excellent (heat, drought, and disease resistant)

Size

vigorous, tall, arching/trailing canes

firm, mildly sweet; best cooked or processed — A low-chill Mississippi State hybrid (crossed with a heat-tolerant southern-China species) that is essentially the only raspberry to reliably fruit in the hot, humid Deep South.

Bababerry

Also known as Southern Bababerry, Baba Red

Self-fertile

Chill

200–400 hrs

Ripens

June-July, again Sept-Oct

Zones

6-10

Disease

good; heat- and sunburn-tolerant

Size

vigorous 5-6 ft

large, firm, sweet berries; good fresh — A low-chill raspberry (developed in California) for hot, mild-winter regions; give it afternoon shade to prevent sunburn. Everbearing habit and exact chill figure are not well documented.

Killarney

Self-fertile

Ripens

Midseason summer, just behind Boyne

Zones

3-7

Disease

reduced susceptibility to spur blight; susceptible to powdery mildew and anthracnose

Size

upright 4-6 ft, spiny, suckers heavily

medium bright red berries, light-coloured, sweet and mild; freezes well — An old Manitoba-bred summer red kept around for sheer cold hardiness, and one of the few cultivars extension lists as less susceptible to spur blight. It suckers freely and needs a trellis. No sourced chill figure exists for it.

Encore

Self-fertile

Ripens

Late summer, late July into early August

Zones

4-9

Disease

root-rot resistant; winter cane damage possible at the cold edge

Size

tall, vigorous, nearly spineless canes

large berries, very sweet with a smooth mouthfeel — A Cornell summer red that ripens after every other floricane variety, which is the whole point of growing it - it stretches the summer picking season by a couple of weeks. Nearly spineless. No sourced chill figure.

Nantahala

Self-fertile

Ripens

Very late fall crop, mid-August to early September until hard frost

Zones

6-9

Disease

resistant to late leaf rust and leaf spot under minimal fungicide; virus susceptibility unknown

Size

primocane-fruiting red

very large, light-coloured berries with intense flavour — NC State's first red raspberry release in over 50 years, bred for mountain sites with long seasons, mild summers, and enough winter cold to satisfy dormancy. It ripens later than any standard primocane type, so it needs a long autumn - in a short-season zone the crop simply will not finish. No sourced chill figure.

Bristol

Self-fertile

Ripens

Early summer, July

Zones

4-8

Disease

very susceptible to anthracnose; least winter-hardy of the raspberry types - black raspberries take cane injury sooner than reds or purples

Size

upright vigorous canes 4-5 ft, no staking needed

large, firm, richly sweet black raspberries with a touch of tartness — The classic early black raspberry from Cornell, still grown for fruit quality despite being the anthracnose magnet of the group - budget for the delayed-dormant lime sulfur spray. Nurseries list it at zones 4-8 but sources disagree at the cold end (some say 5-8); black raspberries are the least winter-hardy raspberry type, so at the cold edge of its range expect cane injury in an open winter. No sourced chill figure.

Niwot

Self-fertile

Ripens

Late June floricane crop and late August primocane crop

Zones

5-8

Size

vigorous 4-6 ft; benefits from trellising and tip pruning

very large glossy black berries with very small seeds — The only primocane-fruiting black raspberry there is, so it is the one way to get a fall black-raspberry crop or to double-crop a black. Bred in Colorado; can fruit in its first fall after planting. No sourced chill figure.

Double Gold

Self-fertile

Ripens

July floricane crop and September through frost on primocanes

Zones

4-8

Disease

resistant to Phytophthora root rot and common leaf diseases

Size

tall 5-8 ft

peachy-gold to coral berries, tender, juicy, sweet — A 2012 Cornell introduction and the rare gold raspberry with real Phytophthora root-rot resistance, which is what usually kills gold varieties on heavy or wet ground. Berries are tender, so it is a garden fruit rather than a market one. No sourced chill figure.

Crimson Night

Self-fertile

Ripens

Late June floricane crop and September primocane crop

Zones

4-8

Disease

resistant to Phytophthora root rot and common leaf diseases

Size

5-8 ft; stays notably more compact in cold northern sites, container-suitable there

conical, glossy, very dark red berries; firm and juicy — A Cornell primocane red with red-tinted canes, ornamental enough to sit in a mixed border or a large container, and root-rot resistant. Stays compact in the north. No sourced chill figure.

Brandywine

Self-fertile

Ripens

Late summer floricane crop, late July to mid-August; summer-bearing, NOT everbearing

Zones

4-8

Disease

susceptible to crown gall; extension lists it among cultivars less susceptible to spur blight; good winter hardiness

Size

very tall, vigorous, thorny canes

extra-large firm reddish-purple berries, tart; bakes to a vibrant red, excellent for wine, canning and freezing — A Cornell black x red purple raspberry, tart enough that it is really a processing fruit rather than a fresh-eating one. It is a floricane (summer-bearing) type like all purple raspberries - it fruits on second-year canes, so prune it as a summer-bearer and never mow the whole planting to the ground, or you lose the crop. Cut laterals back to about 18 inches. Keep it 75 to 100 feet away from black raspberries, since purples and blacks trade viruses. No sourced chill figure.