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["Ernest Plutko" <ernestplutko@wiktel.com>]

I grew Brandywine purple raspberries for six years.  They are large
and tasty, better tasting to me than red raspberries.  They are zone
4 and I live in zone 2 but they grew well with no winter damage to my
surprise.  I was on a trip and a drain field was put in which
destroyed the Brandywine.  I bought six Royalty purple raspberries
which made it through last winter.  They were small and covered with
snow.  They now have large canes which arched over to the ground. 
Royalty is not as hardy as Brandywine so I will push down the canes
and cover them with peat moss for winter protection. I had no winter
protection for the Brandywine canes.  I ordered new Brandywine for
next season.  Woodstock Nursery is selling them.  I am skeptical of
zone hardiness given by nurseries.  Plants tend to be less hardy than
they claim.  But sometimes plants can be more hardy than expected. 
There are probably differing strains of plants more or less hardy
than the expected but who can tell unless you grow them.