Whitebark Raspberry
Rubus leucodermis
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, United States
elayc (www.inaturalist.org)






Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Genus:
- Rubus
- Species:
- Rubus leucodermis
- USDA Symbol:
- RULE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Subshrub , Vine
- Height:
- 250 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, bees
- Fall Color:
- yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown following fire. Often increases in abundance after low to moderate intensity burns.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–120 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Scarification improves germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Sow seeds into trays filled with stabilized medium plugs (Q-plugs). Seal trays inside plastic bags and refrigerate at 33.8 to 37.4 °F for 120 days. Check trays weekly and keep moist. Treat with 1% hydrogen peroxide if mold is evident.
Establishment: Collect ripe fruits (orange or red) by hand from June through August. Store berries in a plastic bag at ~39.2 °F to prevent mold growth.
Source: npn.rngr.net