Rubus biflorus
The arching white stems of Rubus biflorus are especially dramatic on a sunny winter's day. You can see an impressive stand of this superb plant around the larger lake on Seven Acres.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Two-flowered raspberry
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Height & spread
- 2.5 to 4m high and wide (8-13ft).
- Form
- Suckering deciduous shrub.
- Soil
- Well-drained, moderately fertile.
- Aspect
- Full sun to partial shade.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy.
Rubus
This varied genus of at least 250 species of deciduous or evergreen prickly shrubs, climbers and a few herbaceous perennials is found in a range of habitats from coastal sand dunes to thickets, woodland, forest and mountain slopes throughout the world.
The name Rubus is the Latin name for blackberry, bramble and raspberry.
Flowers are pink, white, red or purple and borne in racemes or panicles and are saucer to cup shaped with 4 or 5 petals.
Some species are grown for their edible fruits, including R. idaeus, raspberries and R. fructicosus, blackberries along with hybrids between these.
Ornamental species are grown for their flowers, foliage and winter shoots, and are an attractive addition to a shrub border. Prostrate species such as R. tricolor provide good ground cover.
Rubus biflorus
From the Himalayas and western China, Rubus biflorus is a suckering, deciduous shrub that comes to the fore in winter with its showy, ghostly white-bloomed stems.
These erect, prickly canes bear leaves that are white beneath, and white flowers about 2.5cm wide that open in summer and may be followed by yellow fruit. Biflorus means two-flowered, hence the common name two-flowered raspberry.
Plant it in association with Cornus and Salix (also grown for their winter stem colour), and ideally somewhere where they can shine out in the sun.
Cultivation
Propagation
AGM
The RHS Woody Plant Committee awarded Rubus biflorus an Award of Garden Merit in 2002 because it was deemed to be the best of the white-stemmed Rubus.