Mysore raspberry (Rubus niveus)
Mysore raspberry (Rubus
niveus)
From southern Asia, the mysore raspberry is formidable and productive.
Mysore raspberries
are blessed with vigorous, pale green canes, large spines and masses of rosy pink flowers. In hot countries they can become invasive but in the UK, though they can just about survive the winter cold, but only do well with the protection of a polytunnel or cold greenhouse if you have the room. Other than that they require no special treatment, and can be cultivated the same way as any other raspberry by the removal of the old stems once fruiting has finished and training the new stems for next seasons crop, though you will have to keep them in check as they can get very big given the chance.
If you can accommodate it somewhere, it will reward you with large quantities of beautiful bloomy black raspberries right through the summer into the autumn. These are very sweet and juicy though they lack acidity. This makes them an ideal addition to fruit salads where they not only look good, but also allow you to get away with adding less sugar than you might have had to otherwise.
For black raspberries to plant outside, please see our 'blackcap'
page.