You can also sometimes distinguish between thimbleberries and raspberries by looking at the berries themselves. Wild American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and black raspberry (R. occidentalis) grow in USDA zones 3 through 8, and cultivated raspberries grow in U.S. In addition, raspberries don't grow well in poorly draining or clay soil. Flowers give way to 3/4" diameter, cup-shaped red fruits (raspberries) which are edible but somewhat dry, crumbly and unappetizing. The wild raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is native to North America where it is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 7. Sometimes commonly called thimbleberry (though this common name is usually more appropriate for the similar but white-flowered Rubus parviflorus of the West). Raspberries like a pH of 5.6 to 6.2. Wild and cultivated raspberries (Rubus spp.) Rose-lavender, 5-petaled clusters of single flowers. Birds love thimbleberries! Here the MF Wild Raspberry is the realistic part of the raspberry and also brings some dark sweetness to do terribly good things to the EM laiden Raspberry Sweet. Sepals are covered with glandular hairs. Thimbleberries look a lot like thimbles (hence the name) – they’re flatter and wider than raspberries. Fruits ripens in mid-to-late summer. Flower arrangement, shape, and size. Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions. If raspberries fail to produce flowers, test the soil near the plant using a home testing kit (available at gardening centers). Amending the soil can rectify both soil quality and pH levels. Animals including black bear and coyote also consume the juicy fruits. Fruit is a dry, aggregate, purplish-red drupe that resembles a fuzzy, flat raspberry. Wild raspberries are a prolific wild plant that will invade your garden if allowed to do so. To allow your garden the room it needs to prosper, wild raspberries need to be kept about 600 feet from your garden, either by cutting them back or destroying them. can become a nuisance in gardens due to their prickly stems and their habit of resprouting from their roots. Since the flowers are almost always self-incompatible, this species relies on bees and other pollinators to produce fruit. Red raspberry is delicious to humans, and many cultivars have been developed from the wild species. They damage other plants by spreading along the ground sending up cane shoots that choke out other plants. While you're at it pick up their caramel. The MF Wild Raspberry is hard to get, and yes it's expensive but it's worth it. Wild Raspberry or Wild Red Raspberry: Plant Type: Perennial: Mature Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide: Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade: Soil Type: Rich and well-draining: Soil pH: Acid to neutral: Bloom Time: Summer to fall: Flower Color: White: Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7: Native Area: United States, Canada, France Raspberry plants have lots of small to medium thorns, while thimbleberries are thornless.