The genus Rubus, (especially the blackberries, which are often loosely referred to as Rubus fruticosus agg.) presents some of the most difficult taxonomic problems. This is partly due to the frequency of polyploidy; also to the frequent occurrence of hybridization; and also due to apomixis, where minor differences between plants are preserved because seedlings are genetically identical to their parent. As a result, differences of opinion on the number of species to be recognized from a given region can vary tremendously (for example, a treatment by M. L. Fernald[] in 1950 recognized 205 species for the northern half of the eastern United States plus parts of southeastern Canada, whilst H. A. Gleason and A. Cronquist in 1991 recognized only 25)[]. Where possible, a relatively conservative approach is taken here[].

Common Name: Japanese Raspberry

General Information

Rubus parvifolius is a deciduous shrub producing each year a cluster of low-mounding to creeping, prickly, biennial stems from a woody rootstock; the plant can be 10 - 150cm tall[, ]. The stems only produce leaves, and do not flower, in their first year of growth; forming flowering branches in their second year and then dying after fruiting.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine, and is sold for food in local markets[].. It is sometimes cultivated for its fruit, and has sometimes been grown as an ornamental.
This species has become established in several States in the USA and has the potential to become a very significant weed[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam. Australia - Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales.

Habitat

Forests, thickets, clearings, slopes, sunny valleys, roadsides, waste places; at elevations from 400 - 2,700 metres[]. Mainly found in wet sclerophyll forests in eastern Australia[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[, , ].
Cultivated for its edible fruit in Asia, there are some named varieties[].
This species is a raspberry with 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[].
This species appears to hybridise in the wild with Rubus hillii[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].
Rubus parvifolius is distinguished from other raspberries by its broadly ovate-rhombic to obovate leaflets and relatively small flowers with pinkish to magenta petals[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc[, , , , , ]. Juicy[]. A good flavour[, ]. The fruit are eaten raw and are also used for making jam, jelly, juice, syrup, candy, wine, and vinegar[]. The fruit is small[], though the individual druplets are quite large[]. The red, ovoid-globose fruit is around 10 - 15mm in diameter[].

The young plant is used as a substitute for tea[].

Medicinal

The leaves and the root are astringent[, ]. A decoction of the leaves or the root is used in the treatment of skin diseases and as a stimulant to blood circulation[]. The leaves are used as a tonic for older people[].

The dried fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine[].

Other Uses

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

The stems and roots are a source of tannin[].

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 is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[].
Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[].