Raspberry Cultivars For The Pacific Northwest

A Pacific Northwest Extension PublicationOregon State University University of Idaho Washington State UniversityPNW 655 Februar y 2014Raspberry Cultivars for the Pacific NorthwestChad E. Finn, Bernadine C. Strik, and Patrick P. Moore‘Meeker’ (floricane-fruiting)There are two main types of raspberries: red andblack. Yellow-fruited raspberries result from amutation of red raspberries that prevents theformation of red color; they are grown exactly thesame as red raspberries. Purple raspberries, a thirdtype, are a hybrid between black and red raspberries.Raspberry CanesAlthough raspberry plants live many years,their canes are biennial, meaning they live2 years.This publication briefly describes each type ofraspberry. Tables 1–4 list cultivars in approximateorder of ripening within each type.Hybrids between blackberry and red raspberryinclude ‘Logan’, ‘Boysen’, and ‘Tayberry’. Thesefruits are blackberries and are included in the OSUExtension publication Blackberry Cultivars forOregon (EC 1617). In blackberries, the core is part ofthe fruit; in raspberries, the core remains attached tothe plant when the fruit is picked.Primocanes: First year of growth. Onlyfall-bearing raspberries produce a significant amount of fruit on primocanes in thelate summer and fall.Floricanes: Second year of growth. Bothsummer-bearing and fall-bearing raspberries produce fruit on floricanes. Fruit isborne on branches called fruiting laterals.After fruiting, floricanes die.Chad E. Finn, berry crops geneticist, USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, Oregon; Bernadine C. Strik,Extension berry crops professor, Oregon State University; and Patrick P. Moore, scientist, Washington State University.All photos by Bernadine C. Strik, Oregon State University, unless otherwise noted.

‘Vintage’ (primocane-fruiting)‘Munger’ (black)them for the second year, however, they will producea crop on the floricanes the next summer. Becauseprimocane-fruiting types can be double cropped, theysometimes are called everbearing raspberries. Redraspberry cultivars are listed in Tables 1 and 2.Black Raspberries‘Willamette’ (floricane-fruiting)Red RaspberriesRed raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are native tonorthern North America and Eurasia. Cultivated redraspberries were introduced into the United States aslong ago as 1771.Red raspberries produce new canes from buds onroots and from the crown. In the first year, canes arecalled primocanes. In the second year, they are calledfloricanes. Canes are pruned out after their secondyear. Both primocanes and floricanes are presentduring the growing season.There are two types of red raspberries. In floricane-fruiting (summer-bearing) cultivars, thesecond-year floricanes bear a crop in early summerand the first-year primocanes are vegetative only.Primocane-fruiting (fall-bearing) cultivars produce a significant amount of fruit at the top of theprimocanes in the fall. The easiest way to manage primocane-fruiting raspberries is to cut the primocanesto the ground each winter after fruiting. If you keep2Black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis), sometimescalled blackcaps, are native from the Northeast to theGreat Plains. The native western black raspberry isR. leucodermis.Black raspberries produce canes only fromthe crown, not from the roots. Tip primocanes insummer to encourage branching. These canes produce fruit the following year.In the early 1900s, there were dozens of blackraspberry cultivars, and new cultivars were releaseduntil about the 1960s. Until recently, there has beenlittle breeding work on black raspberries, and only ahandful of cultivars are now commonly available. Inthe Northwest, nearly the entire commercial crop is‘Munger’, a cultivar released in 1890. Black raspberrycultivars are listed in Table 3.Purple RaspberriesPurple raspberries are a hybrid between blackand red raspberries. They tend to be vigorous,crown-forming plants with large, soft fruit. Purpleraspberries are generally considered to have onlyfair quality for fresh use, but they are excellent forprocessing. Purple raspberry cultivars are listed inTable 4.

Cultivar Table NotesUseTables 1–4 list floricane-fruiting and primocane-fruiting raspberries, black raspberries, andpurple raspberries. The descriptions are intendedto serve only as a guide in choosing a cultivar that’sappropriate for your needs. Performance oftenvaries with location.Most berries sold in the fresh market are handharvested, firm, and bright red. They have a shelflife of several days if properly handled and refrigerated. Berries grown for processing are machineharvested and have intense red color and flavor.Not all of the listed cultivars are available innurseries; however, these are included in the tablesbecause plants are long lived, and establishedplantings of older cultivars still exist.Machine HarvestCultivars adapted to machine harvest havegood plant architecture, easy fruit release from thereceptacle when the berry is ripe, and fruit that isfirm enough for individually quick frozen (IQF)markets. Machine-harvested fruit will not store formore than a few hours after harvest.Disease IssuesMost raspberry cultivars are sensitive toPhytophthora root rot; this disease is a muchgreater problem in Oregon and southernWashington than in northern Washington andBritish Columbia. Grow raspberries on very welldrained soils and on raised beds or ridges (about12 to 18 inches high) to promote drainage.Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) is a pollen-borne virus (carried by bees); the primarysymptom is crumbly fruit. Usually a raspberryplant infected with RBDV looks normal and isneither bushy nor dwarf. There are no controlmeasures for this virus other than to replant withvirus-free stock and choose resistant cultivars. InTables 1 and 2, assume cultivars are susceptible toRBDV unless otherwise noted.Fruit Descriptions and YieldDescriptions of yield and berry size areprimarily based on results of trials by the USDAARS/OSU cooperative breeding program at theOSU North Willamette Research and ExtensionCenter in Aurora, Oregon, and the WashingtonState University breeding program in Puyallup,Washington. If a cultivar has not been tested atthese sites, yield and berry descriptions are basedon grower experience. Yield ratings are based oncomparison to other cultivars of the same type.Red raspberries are generally more productivethan black raspberries.Commercial ProductionA commercial value score is provided to helpcommercial growers select appropriate cultivars forfresh and processed markets:1 Appropriate for most commercial operations2 May have commercial value but:(a) not enough is known about its performanceor(b) may meet a specific requirement(e.g., unique color or very early harvest) buthas a negative trait (e.g., low yield or poorshipping quality)3 Unlikely to have good commercial valueSmall Farm, U-Pick, and HomeGardensCultivars that are well suited to small farms,local sales, U-pick farms, and home gardens arenoted as such. However, we advise home gardenersnot to grow cultivars that are susceptible to rootrot west of the Cascades, except where there is verygood drainage.Cold HardinessCold hardiness is indicated if information isavailable. Grow only cold-hardy cultivars east ofthe Cascades. Primocane-fruiting raspberries canbe grown in most cold regions if only a primocane,and not the floricane, crop is produced. Many cultivars from eastern U.S. nurseries might be welladapted to eastern Oregon, eastern Washington,and Idaho.3

4Very susceptibleto root rotSusceptible toroot rot, immuneto RBDVModeratelysusceptible toroot rotSusceptible toroot rot, immuneto RBDVTolerant to rootrot, immuneto RBDVSusceptible toroot rotMalahatWillametteRudiChilcotinBoyneCanby(U.S. PlantPatent 17,985)CascadeDawnSome toleranceto root rot,immune to RBDVResistant toroot rotPrelude(U.S. PlantPatent 11,747)Disease w toFreshmediumYieldMedium size, mediumfirmness, attractive, brightred, very good flavorMedium size, soft, dark red,good flavorMedium size, mediumfirmness, attractive, brightlight red, good flavorMedium to large size,medium to dark red,good flavorMedium size, soft, dark red,very good flavorMedium to large size,medium firmness,attractive, bright red, verygood flavorFresh andprocessedLow toFreshmediumMedium FreshMedium FreshHighMedium ProcessedLow toFreshmediumMedium to large size,Medium Freshmedium firmness,attractive, bright dark red,very good flavor, difficultfruit release unless fully ripeSmall size, soft, dull,medium red, good flavor,very early floricane crop,also produces smallprimocane cropFruit Machineharvest3322(too new tofully evaluatebut expected tobe fine)12(high quality,low yield)2(nursery plantsmay not beavailable)3Large-scalecommercial value (Table continues) Small farm or Coldhome garden hardyFloricane-fruiting raspberries can be grown for fresh or processed markets. Cultivars are listed in approximate order of ripening. The harvest season of Meekerstarts about June 20 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and about July 4 in Puyallup and Lynden, Washington. Cultivars are susceptible to Raspberry bushy dwarf virus(RBDV) unless otherwise noted.Table 1. Floricane-fruiting (summer-bearing) cultivars: Red-fruited unless otherwise noted

5Resistant to rootrot, immuneto RBDVModerateresistance toroot rot, immuneto RBDVVery susceptibleto root rot,immune to RBDVExcellentresistance toroot rotLathamKillarneyCascade GoldCascadeBountySomewhatsensitive toroot rotSusceptible toroot rotSomewhatsensitive toroot rotVery susceptibleto root rotChemainusSaanichMeekerTulameen(U.S. PlantPatent 18,246)Disease um FreshYieldLarge to very large size,firm, very attractive, brightred, excellent flavorMedium size, mediumfirmness, medium red,good flavorMedium size, goodfirmness, dull red, goodflavorMedium size, firm, brightred, very good flavorProcessedMedium FreshHighMedium ProcessedMedium Fresh orprocessedProcessedMedium Freshto highMedium size, mediumHighfirmness, can be a bitlumpy, bright red, fair flavorLarge size, yellow fruit,excellent flavor, retainsgood flavor even whenpicked at firm stageMedium size, soft, medium Medium Freshto dark red, sweet, excellentflavorSmall size, crumbly,medium red, only fair flavorFruit Machineharvest2(high susceptibilityto root rot limitscommercialpotential in thisregion)12122(limited market foryellow types)33Large-scalecommercial value (Table continues) Small farm or Coldhome garden hardyFloricane-fruiting raspberries can be grown for fresh or processed markets. Cultivars are listed in approximate order of ripening. The harvest season of Meekerstarts about June 20 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and about July 4 in Puyallup and Lynden, Washington. Cultivars are susceptible to Raspberry bushy dwarf virus(RBDV) unless otherwise noted.Table 1. Floricane-fruiting (summer-bearing) cultivars: Red-fruited unless otherwise noted