Ground Cover Raspberries

Something new for this year (for me anyway) are these Ground Cover Raspberries. They are classified as Zone 1, and also referred to as Arctic Raspberries or Nagoonberry . They are thornless! So a plus with those with small kids and those of us who don’t like wearing gloves while gardening. They only grow about 5-6 inches tall and spread rhizomes out to eventually make a thick mat. Fall colour is said to be dark red and burgundy, which is always ideal in my world where most of our native plants turn only yellow in the fall. It’s nice to have some variety of fall interest around here.

You also need two different plants to get cross pollination in order to get fruit. This is why I have “Anna” and “Valentina”. These are the only two that I have seen commercially available here. Apparently there are 2 called “Beta” and “Sophia” that were developed in Sweden at the Balsgard Fruit Breeding Institute. Hopefully over the next few years, more varieties become available. I think these could be a great addition to our typically small yards here, especially in difficult areas of our gardens, and those of us who want to grow at least a tiny portion of our own food.

I have planted them about 18″ apart under my ‘Honey Queen’ and ‘Double Delight’ Raspberries. Ideally, they will provide a natural groundcover/mulch for the “regular” raspberries. I will also be dotting in a few ‘Albion’ strawberry (everbearing) crowns in this same area.

In the winter, I will likely cover them with leaves from the massive poplar tree in the front yard, to help give some winter protection, although, with these being a Zone 1, I doubt they will NEED it, but I’m sure they will appreciate it. The leaves also help to keep some moisture in the soil as we get massive temperature fluctuations during chinooks in the winter.

As you can see, they have pink blooms that are quite ornamental. These turn to dark red berries. I’ll try and keep you in the loop on how these do this year. I’m not too concerned about how they will survive winter, as they have all season to grow good roots, and they are Zone 1.