Will Dwarf Thornless Red Raspberries Spread?

Identification

• Its sweet, bright red fruit makes Raspberry Shortcake the equal to many other, older varieties of raspberry. Unlike many other raspberries, however, its small size and mounding form mean it is suitable to very small planting areas or even to containers, where it will spill over the sides appealingly. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9.

Suckering Habit

• Raspberry Shortcake is a summer-bearing raspberry, which means it produces new canes each year. These canes spend their first growing season focusing on vegetative production, and fruit in the summer of their second growth season. After they fruit, they die, leaving space for new canes to take their place. Unless you thin very assiduously, however, your raspberry patch will likely produce more canes each year than the year before, so Raspberry Shortcake will grow to fill out a planting space.

Pruning

• Because Raspberry Shortcake produces new canes each year, you will need to do some pruning to stay on top of dead canes. You can remove fruited canes as soon as your raspberries are finished for the year, or wait to see which canes wither and remove those. To a lesser extent, you may wish to prune to control the production of new canes, especially if you are trying to contain your raspberries to a small area. Never prune the top of a raspberry cane, however, as this will limit its fruit production the following year.

Culture and Use

• Raspberries generally prefer sun, though they may grow in a little shade. They like moist soil, but don’t do well in wet conditions, so water enough to keep soil from drying out. This cultivar can be used on a balcony or patio when planted in a container, as well as in borders or edges of the perennial garden. In some areas, the leaves may take on a red tint during the fall and winter, providing seasonal interest.