North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

They are several selections of Rubus x stellarcticus bred in Sweden by Professor Gunny Larsson.  She crossed two Arctic Rubus, R.  arcticus and R. stellatus.  I've grown them.  They are technically a blackberry, in spite of the color of the fruit, because the berries stick to the core.  They are self-sterile, so if you want them as a pure ornamental, plant only one selection.  They like very well drained soil, though you can do that with a raised bed.  They spread by underground roots.  In the arctic they take three years - first year the roots spread.  Second year the buds form just below the soil line.  Third year the shoots come up, bear, and die back.  In warmer areas, they take only two years, or even one.  Fruit is quite aromatic, but tart.  Get used to a lot of kneeling to pick them, though.    The lavender flowers are really nice in the spring.
As the patch ages, the original plants may need to be cleaned out and new material planted as the oldest plants die out, while the "leading edge" of the patch keeps moving out.  They are by no means invasive because they are very easy to dig out, but they do keep moving.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Apr 30, 2005, at 5:26 PM, list@ginda.us wrote:

Has anyone tried the "ground cover raspberries" that Hartmann's is selling?  They advertise them as hardy in zones 1-8 (yes, in the arctic), 6-8 inches high, and good for erosion control on exposed sunny slopes.

http://hartmannsplantcompany.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RB-R-2000-0025&Category_Code=GC-R&Store_Code=HPC

They sound interesting.

Ginda Fisher
eastern MA, zone 6

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