Raspberries are popular fruits, but their plant structure often causes confusion about their classification. Many people wonder if this sweet berry grows on a tree or a bush. The answer is straightforward: raspberries do not grow on trees, nor are they typical bushes, but belong to a group of plants known as brambles within the Rubus genus. They have a unique growth habit that distinguishes them from both trees and common perennial shrubs.
Canes, Not Trees
Raspberries are perennial plants; their underground root system and crown live for many years, but the above-ground parts have a temporary life cycle. They are best described as shrubs, but their woody stems are specifically called canes, which is a key difference from a tree. A tree is characterized by a single, permanent, woody trunk that persists for many years and grows continuously in girth and height.
A raspberry plant produces multiple, temporary canes that emerge from the perennial crown. These canes are woody and often thorny, but they are biennial, lasting only two years before dying back to the ground. This two-year life span and the lack of a single, permanent trunk structure mean the raspberry plant lacks the characteristics of a tree. The canes are replaced by new growth each year after fruiting.
The Biennial Growth Pattern
The two-year life cycle of the raspberry cane is the most distinguishing feature of the plant’s biology. The first-year shoots are known as primocanes. These canes are typically green, focus on vegetative growth, and develop buds but do not produce fruit during this initial year.
After surviving the winter, a primocane transforms into a floricane in its second year. The floricane is the fruiting cane, which produces flowers and the raspberry crop, usually in the summer or fall, depending on the variety. Once the floricane has finished bearing fruit, it dies, completing its two-year cycle.
In a mature raspberry patch, both primocanes and floricanes are present simultaneously, ensuring continuous growth and fruit production. This system requires annual pruning to remove the dead floricanes after they have fruited. This makes way for the new primocanes to develop for the following year’s harvest. This specialized cycle is why raspberry plant management differs from the care of a permanent tree.
Types of Raspberries and Basic Care
Raspberries are categorized by the color of their fruit, including red, black, purple, and the less common gold varieties. They are also divided into two main groups based on their fruiting pattern: summer-bearing and fall-bearing (everbearing).
Summer-bearing types produce fruit on floricanes during the summer season. Fall-bearing varieties produce a crop on the tips of the first-year primocanes in the late summer or fall. If the lower portion of these canes is left to overwinter, they will fruit again as floricanes the following summer, offering a “double crop.”
Because raspberry canes are pliable and heavy with fruit, most varieties benefit from a support system, such as a trellis, to keep the canes upright. Pruning is an annual and necessary task directly tied to the biennial life cycle. This ensures the plant directs energy toward producing new, healthy canes for future harvests.