Hortiforum

General Info – Atherton Raspberry, Queensland Raspberry, Wild Raspberry

The Atherton Raspberry, a tropical raspberry native to Queensland and Papua, stands out with its sweet, bright red fruit, offering a delightful native alternative in tropical climates. Belonging to the Rubus genus alongside the Blackberry and European Red Raspberry, it shares a mild raspberry taste, although its fruits are notably broader and can be more variable in flavour, although consistently superior to other Rubus species native to Australia. Like all Rubus, the Atherton Raspberry is delicious eaten fresh out of hand, but can also be added to desserts, baking and preserves such as jams. With their prolific and consistent production throughout their fruiting months, there will certainly be plenty of fruits for many usages. Like its Rubus relatives, the Atherton Raspberry is a robust, scrambling shrub, often challenging to contain due to its vigorous growth. To manage its energetic growth, it is advisable to cultivate it in easily controlled locations or in containers, restricting its growth and eliminating the need for constant monitoring to prevent unwanted suckers escaping. When left uncontrolled or within its own patch it can form a near impenetrable thicket. Both the toothed foliage and five petalled white flowers are distinctly similar to other Rubus.
For those residing in tropical regions, the Atherton Raspberry proves to be an excellent substitute for the European Red Raspberry. Unlike its European counterpart, it thrives without any chill hours and is well-adapted to hot and humid conditions. Moderately watering the Atherton Raspberry and ensuring good drainage is essential for its optimal growth. While it can endure light frosts, heavier frosts may cause the plant to die back. However, this isn’t necessarily problematic, as long as the roots remain alive, the plant will happily reemerge with new suckers. This tolerance allows its cultivation across a range of subtropical and warm temperate climates, with Atherton Raspberry easily and prolifically cultivated in the Sydney Botanic Gardens.
With its vigorous nature, productivity, and an appealing, tasty berry, the Atherton Raspberry is an excellent native addition for those seeking a tropical berry.

Plant Profile/Properties