Raspberry Varieties

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Ever-bearing and Summer-bearing Raspberries

Raspberry plants can be divided into two categories based the season in which they produce fruit. Ever-bearing varieties produce fruit in the summer as well as the fall, while summer-bearing varieties only produce fruit in the summer. Raspberry plants can also be divided into categories by color; varieties may produce reddish fruit or fruit in shades of yellow/gold, purple, and black.

Popular Raspberry Varieties

Popular varieties include Amity, Latham, Meeker, Willamette, Fall Gold, Brandywine, and Black Hawk, as well as many others. Amity raspberries are ever-bearing with medium to large dark red berries that are very firm. They feature a distinctive raspberry flavor which is excellent for pies and jams. Developed in Minnesota, Latham raspberries are summer-bearing, with round, deep-red berries ranging in size from small to large. Meeker raspberries are also summer-bearing, producing a large deep-red thimble-shaped berry with high sugar content. Summer-bearing Willamette raspberries produce a firm, conical, medium to large, dark-red berry and have a slightly tart taste due to lower sugar content. Fall Gold raspberry plants are ever-bearing, producing golden-colored medium to large conical berries that are extremely sweet. Originating in New York, Brandywine raspberries are summer-bearing, with large purple fruit. Black Hawk is a black medium-large raspberry originating in Iowa and peaking in mid-summer.

The commercial availability of raspberries depends largely on location and growing season, but most varieties freeze well and are a treat to be enjoyed no matter what the season!

Some knowledge of the different raspberry varieties and cultivars can aid gardeners and farmers in growing raspberries successfully. The tables below highlight the characteristics of many commonly-grown raspberries, and can help you determine which varieties are suited to your local climate and soil conditions.

Red Raspberries

Variety	Season	Fruit Size	Origin	USDA Zone
Algonquin	Mid to Late Summer	Small-Medium	British Columbia	5 - 8
Amity	Ever-bearing	Medium	Oregon	3 - 8
August Red	Ever-bearing	Medium	New Hampshire	3 - ?
Autumn Bliss	Ever-bearing	Large	England	3 - ?
Autumn Britten	Ever-bearing	Large	England	4 - ?
Boyne	Early Summer	Small-Medium	Manitoba	3 - 7
Canby	Mid-Summer	Large	Oregon	5 - 8
Caroline	Ever-bearing	Large	Maryland	4 - 8
Chilcotin	Mid to Late Summer	Large
Citadel	Mid Summer	Large	Maryland	3 - 8
Comet	Early to Mid Summer	Medium	Canada
Dinkum	Ever-bearing	Large	Australia	3 - 11
Dorman Red	Mid June	Large		6 - 10
Double Delight	Early Fall			3 - ?
Durham	Fall	Medium		4 - 7
Encore	Late Summer	Large	New York	4 - ?
Fallred	Ever-bearing	Medium	New Hampshire	4 - 7
Festival	Mid-Summer	Medium	Ontario	3 - ?
Gatineau	Very Early Summer	Medium	Ontario
Haida	Late Summer	Medium
Heritage	Ever-bearing	Medium-Large	New York	4 - 8
Hilton	Mid-Summer	Large	New York
Indian Summer	Fall	Large		4 - 7
K81-6	Late Summer	Large	Nova Scotia
Killarney	Early to Mid Summer	Medium	Manitoba	4 - 6
Latham	?	Small	Minnesota	3 - 8
Lauren	Mid Summer	Large	Maryland	4 - ?
Meeker	Mid Summer	Medium-Large	Washington State	4 - 8
Newburgh	Mid Summer	Medium	New York
Nova	Ever-bearing	Medium-Large	Nova Scotia	3 - 8
Polana	Mid-Fall	Large	Poland	4 - ?
Prelude	Very Early Summer	Medium	New York	4 - ?
Puyallup	Mid-Summer	Large		4 - 8
Qualicum	Mid-Summer	Large
Red River	Early Fall	Medium		3 - ?
Redwing	Ever-bearing	Large	Minnesota	4 - 8
Regency	Mid-Summer	Medium
Reveille	Early Summer	Medium-Large	Maryland	4 - 8
Taylor	Late Summer	Medium-Large	New York	4 - 8
Titan	Mid to Late Summer	Very Large	New York
Tulameen	Very Late Summer	Large		6 - 9
Willamette	Mid-Summer	Medium	Oregon	5 - 8

Photographs of black raspberries

Yellow/Gold Raspberries

Variety	Season	Fruit Size	Origin	USDA Zone
Fallgold	Ever-bearing	Medium		5 - 9
Golden Harvest	Ever-bearing	Large	New York
Goldie	Ever-Bearing	Large	New York	5 - 7
Kiwi Gold	Ever-Bearing		New Zealand	4 - 8

Purple Raspberries

Variety	Season	Fruit Size	Origin	USDA Zone
Brandywine	Late Summer	Large	New York	3 - ?
Royalty	Late	Large	New York	4 - 7
Success	Mid to Late Summer	Small	New Hampshire

Black Raspberries

Variety	Season	Fruit Size	Origin	USDA Zone
Allen	Early to Mid Summer	Large	New York	5 - 8
Black Hawk	Mid Summer	Medium-Large	Iowa	5 - 9
Bristol		Medium-Large	New York	5 - 8
Cumberland	Mid to Late Summer	Large	Pennsylvania	5 - 9
Haut	Early		Maryland	5 - 8
Jewel	Early to Mid Summer	Medium-Large	New York	5 - 8
Munger	Mid Summer	Large	Ohio