Is anyone growing Funberry (or balloonberry, roseberry, dewberry, and strawberry-raspberry), Rubus llecebrosus? Territorial Seeds has it in their catalog for next year. Kind of reminds me of wineberry in appearance, just smaller drupes. Wikipedia says it’s naturalized in some places in the US. I don’t really have space for any more cane fruits, but it’s something different!
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@ampersand it looks like some places consider it invasive and really not much is known about it
For example, NC Extension says " Some report that the fruit is sweet and edible raw or cooked. Others feel the fruit is sour or bitter and inedible. The flavor seems to improve when the fruit is cooked."
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rubus-illecebrosus/
“Fruit - raw or cooked. Fairly large and sweet but insipid raw[11, K]. The fruit is said to develop more flavour when it is cooked[183]. Another report says that the fruit is sour, bitter and unpalatable raw[3, 183], though this does not agree with the plants we are growing[K]. The fruit is about 30mm in diameter[200]”
It is not on the invasive list here in VT and I would love to learn more about it. Although having to cook a raspberrry to eat it seems like a no-go (if true)
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Yeah, the contradictory flavor descriptions is odd. Apparently my area is one of the few it is invasive in, but I have never seen it before. Considering I can still go buy Callery Pear, Burning Bush and Miscanthus, I am not too concerned!
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It becomes invasive in environments a bit more temperate than its native domain.
The reported variations in flavor are likely due to differences in soil pH and climate factors.
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