# purple-flowered raspberry (*Rubus odoratus*) The purple-flowered raspberry is a beautiful plant with lovely purple flowers. It grows in sunny spots and can produce tasty berries that many animals enjoy. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 28 - **Habitat:** Forests ![purple-flowered raspberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rubus-odoratus-flower.JPG&width=800) Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Sten assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rubus-odoratus-flower.JPG) ## Appearance The purple-flowered raspberry has large, showy rose-purple to magenta flowers, each with five petals. Its stems are covered in soft, glandular bristles, not sharp thorns. The leaves are broad and maple-like, with 3-5 lobes, and the flat, red berries resemble small raspberries. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Rubus ## Interesting facts - Its scientific name 'odoratus' refers to the plant's lovely, sweet-smelling flowers! - The fruit is flatter and has a milder, less sweet taste than common garden raspberries. - This plant can grow happily in shady spots, making it unique among many berry plants. - Unlike most raspberries, its stems are bristly instead of having sharp thorns. ## Special abilities - **Bristly Defense:** Purple-flowered raspberry stems have soft bristles that deter many hungry animals from munching on its leaves! - **Rhizome Rambler:** This plant spreads underground using special roots called rhizomes, helping it form dense, protective thickets. - **Fragrant Beacon:** Its beautiful, fragrant flowers act like a bright, scented signal, attracting many different pollinators to visit. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-250 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Key native pollinator for its blooms. - **Eaten by:** American black bear (*Ursus americanus*) — Feasts on the abundant, ripe berries. - **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Consumes berries, aiding seed dispersal. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking any flowers or berries. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify purple-flowered raspberry? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is purple-flowered raspberry? 100-250 cm ### How big are the flowers on purple-flowered raspberry? 3-5 cm ### When does purple-flowered raspberry bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is purple-flowered raspberry edible? Yes ### Is purple-flowered raspberry toxic? None ### What is purple-flowered raspberry's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is purple-flowered raspberry pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Berkshire Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berkshire-botanical-garden) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Brattleboro Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brattleboro-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Chesterfield Gorge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesterfield-gorge) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see purple-flowered raspberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/purple-flowered-raspberry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Purple-flowered Raspberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/purple-flowered-raspberry)