Common Name:

General Information

Rubus taiwanicola is a perennial plant with creeping to ascending, more or less woody stems; the plant forms a mat of growth around 10cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Taiwan

Habitat

Mountains, at elevations from 1,500 - 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rubus taiwanicola is native to the subtropical zone of Taiwan and is generally not very hardy in the temperate zone, although some provenances collected from the highest elevations of its range have grown outdoors in southern England (hardiness zone 7 - 8) for several years without damage.
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Plants can grow in the cracks of old walls.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The red, subglobose fruit is 7 - 12mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[].