Rubus phoenicolasius 'Raisin du Japon' - Wineberry

The Japanese Wineberry is a variety of Japanese blackberry. It is cultivated for both its fruits and its ornamental value. Its dark red stems form a decorative bush, similar to a vigorous raspberry bush covered in hairs and reddish thorns. It produces numerous bright red berries that are deliciously sweet and tangy when ripe. The harvest takes place from mid-July to the end of August.

The Wineberry belongs to the genus Rubus, which is native to the mountains of the Caucasus in Asia Minor. The genus has diversified over time and has given rise to several subgenera, including raspberry (Rubus idaeus), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), and Japanese wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius). The Japanese Wineberry is a Japanese variety.

Hardy and easy to grow, the Japanese Wineberry thrives in ordinary soil, although it prefers fertile, well-drained, and fresh soil. It will do well against a sunny or semi-shaded wall, enhancing its beautiful dark red and flexible branches in winter.
The Japanese Wineberry is a climbing perennial plant with a semi-shrubby and bushy habit. The branches can reach a length of 2 to 3 meters (6 feet 7 inches to 9 feet 10 inches), and the stump can occupy 0.5 meters (1 feet 7 inches) on the ground. These branches should be trained: fence, wire mesh, trellis, pergola, arches... there are many solutions.
The foliage is deciduous, bright green, composed of dissected and serrated leaves, with visible veins, very similar to raspberry leaves. The stems are adorned with decorative reddish thorns, flexible but not to be grasped with bare hands! They only live to bear fruit (2 years) and are gradually replaced by shoots emerging from the stump.
The flowering, abundant and honey-bearing, although insignificant, displays numerous small white flowers grouped in clusters. It takes place from May to June, starting from the first year of planting.

The fruits that form are orange-red and then cherry red when ripe, from July to August. They should be picked when fully red, as they are then sweet and tangy, juicy and flavorful. The fruits can be consumed fresh after picking, in jellies, jams, on pies, or even in sorbets, syrups, and juices. They can be perfectly preserved in the freezer.