AUTUMN FRUITING RASPBERRY VARIETIES
ALL GOLD
The best of the yellow coloured, autumn fruiting raspberries. The taste is very sweet and less acidic compared to many other varieties. They produce medium sized yellow raspberries from mid august right through to mid October in many years.
The plants grow to around 150cm / 6ft high and have good disease resistance. Some people find that the fruits crumble very easily and indeed they do but the flavour and appearance more than make up for this. They grow very well in largish containers. Awarded and AGM in 2009.
AUTUMN BLISS
One of our favourite raspberry varieties which has been around a long time. It was awarded the RHS AGM in 1993 and again in 2009. This is a short growing varieties which reaches a maximum height of 1.5m (5ft) and is easily capable of growing without support in most conditions.
It is one of the best as far as disease resistance is concerned, resisting aphids particularly well. The fruit tastes delicious and yields are about average but spread over a longer than normal cropping period. Fruit is available from August right through to late October.
Care and pruning of Autumn Bliss raspberries is the same as for other autumn fruiting raspberries, click here for more information.
JOAN J
Another sturdy, low growing raspberry plant which is self-supporting. Joan J lacks any prickles making harvesting and pruning of this variety easier than normal. Production of fruit in the first year is unusually high so those looking for a quick crop will do well with this variety.
Disease resistance is good and yields are slightly higher than Autumn Bliss although this tails off significantly after the first flush in august. The fruits turn a dark red soon after picking especially if the weather is warm.
Joan J is a cross between Joan Squire and Terri-Louise. It was bred to rival Autumn Bliss and was awarded an AGM in 2009. Disease resistance is good, the taste is highly rated in trials.
Click here to read our in depth article on the Joan J raspberry.
POLKA
Growing to 1.8m / 6ft tall Polka will require some support. They produce a higher than average crop regularly each year and the fruits store well. Raspberries are large and very tasty. Starts to produce a crop earlier than average and continues well to the first frosts. Highly recommended recent Polish variety. The RHS have given this variety an Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
SUMMER FRUITING RASPBERRY VARIETIES
TULAMEEN
One of the latest varieties to be awarded an AGM, this variety produces a heavy crop of tasty raspberries. This is the raspberry of choice for the food retailers because it stores better than most other varieties. It also has good disease resistance.
We highly recommend this tall growing variety which can easily reach 2m / 6ft high. The peak cropping time is mid July through to mid august and you can expect a high yield. The shape and taste of Tulameen is everything you would expect of the ideal raspberry. Highly recommended.
GLEN AMPLE
This is the most popular of all raspberry varieties and high yields over a longer than normal period are just two two of its plus points. Disease resistance is good and was awarded an AGM in 2000 which was re-confirmed in 2009. This is the best summer fruiting variety for growing in containers because the crop is so high. Spine free.
GLEN MAGNA
Too susceptible to bruising for the supermarkets to sell them but this variety is sweet and full of raspberry flavour, a definite winner. Click here to read our in depth article on the Glen Magna raspberry.
MALLING ADMIRAL
Awarded an AGM in 1993 and reconfirmed in 2009 this is a proven raspberry variety. The fruits are medium to large sized and deep red. Malling Admiral has good disease resistance although it needs protection from windy conditions because the canes are relatively tall.
RUBY BEAUTY
First released in autumn 2014 we haven’t yet had a chance to test out this variety nor have we been able to check with others how it performs. It’s a summer fruiting dwarf variety that is claimed to grow only 1m / 3ft tall making it an ideal candidate for growing in containers and / or on the patio. It’s only being sold as a pot plant at the moment so that bumps up the cost to around £10 for a single plant plus postage and packing which is likely to be in the region £5 making this one exceptionally expensive raspberry plant!
Of course, with every new novelty plant you have to pay extra if you want it as soon as it comes out. Our suggestion would be to wait a couple of years and then read any reviews about how well it performs. After a couple of years the price is likely to fall if you are still interested.
COMMENTS / QUESTIONS LEFT BY OUR READERS
| Date: 20 April 2020 | From: Not Given |
| COMMENT: Raspberry Beauty: Consigned to the bin. Reason never flowered. Also tried out that Mulberry Charlotte from Sutton’s. Got a refund. Total waste of time and a rip off. | |
| Date: 22 July 2018 | From: Elaine |
| QUESTION: Are there any seedless varieties of raspberry? If so can I grow them in the UK.
ANSWER: As far as I am aware, there are no seedless varieties of raspberry. |
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| Date: 18 June 2017 | From: Betty |
| QUESTION: We had raspberries that produced raspberries two times a year, I believe they were called ever bearing. Do they still exist?
ANSWER: I think they do, mainly in the US and Canada. I don’t think they are suited to the UK climate. I couldn’t find any for sale. I also think the name everbearing is a bit misleading. My understanding is that the canes need to be pruned twice a year to get a small crop in June or July and then a second, longer crop in August to early October. |
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| Date: 18 June 2017 | From: Betty |
| QUESTION: We had raspberries that produced raspberries two times a year, I believe they were called ever bearing. Do they still exist?
ANSWER: I think they do, mainly in the US and Canada. I don’t think they are suited to the UK climate. I couldn’t find any for sale. I also think the name everbearing is a bit misleading. My understanding is that the canes need to be pruned twice a year to get a small crop in June or July and then a second, longer crop in August to early October. |
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| Date: 7 May 2017 | From: Connor |
| There is a widely reported issue with raspberry Ruby Beauty/Shortcake NR7 and it is that it is very slow to produce any flowers for up to 3 years after planting. There is an old adage about plants: 1st year it sleeps, 2nd year it creeps, 3rd it leaps! I hope that is true since this raspberry is following that same pattern for me, yet I bought a reasonably established plant! That said I have never ever seen this kind of ‘reluctance’ to flower in any other fruiting plant. Watch this space, same next year it is consigned to the bin! | |
| Date: 6 May 2017 | From: Tony |
| Nice site with lots of useful fruit information. Old favourite Malling Jewel does not get a mention? Always keeps getting the AGM reconfirmed from the RHS! What I recently learned is that this variety though susceptible to all known aphid vectors which can transmit raspberry dwarf/other diseases, Malling Jewel very rarely develops them as it contains the resistant ‘bu gene.’ Also it contains the gene for low chill so plant breeders use it in crosses, and it is highly resistance to root rot. In trials with RHS it has given yields of 8.5kg per test row. The taste of the raspberry is exceptional in my opinion. My own patch of it is well over 20 years old and still going strong! | |
| Date: 9 April 2017 | From: Simon |
| It is annoying that there are many excellent ‘new’ raspberry cultivars out there and being tested by RHS, Meiosis Ltd etc. +, but the general gardening public never gets to see them for many years even after the actual trialling is well finished until plant rights/patent issues are confirmed. The days of a new plant variety being up for sale within a few years is now a cliche! | |
| Date: 30 March 2017 | From: Tim |
| Ruby Beauty is a newer raspberry addition but be wary as it is untested in the UK. The U.S have had it for over 3 years now. Reviews on the whole are mixed. Yes, overpriced because it is new kid on the block here. Just make sure you get virus indexed stock as getting this plant from a good source will make all the difference in the long run as with any plant you may buy. I find it to be an excellent grower, not bothered by pests, yields a couple of pounds per large container of sweetish berries( not outstanding flavor mind you), but planting it in the border(not recommended) will yield a ton more as it suckers extensively, so be warned! A seedling of raspberry Willamette crossed with unknown donor plant HR101 Nelson donor breeding program developed initially in New Zealand from 1997 and sent out for testing in 2001 as a batch, so as you see quite an old plant really. Grows well in zones 4 to 10 and needs only 800 chill hours, maybe less! | |
| Date: 21 February 2017 | From: Connor |
| There is a yellow variety of sugana which, if the canes are left, will fruit in the summer. | |
| Date: 8 February 2017 | From: Julie |
| Re: Ruby Beauty: I was lucky to have purchased this for under a tenner with a plant deal last year, but was far from impressed with what I bought. A tiny twig like clump. Also reading on the net and visiting a few well known online shopping sites I read the same disgruntled reviews to its high cost as well as the plant dying out. The plant I have at this time though it is still dormant grew surpringly well and spreads easily in containers from suckers, but after hardening off shedding its leaves ( no attractive autumnal foliage!)looks far from the attractive container plant it is feted to be. Not for the border. Hopefully this miserable looking thing will produce some nice raspberries in July,touch wood! That said verdict is still out. | |
| Date: 8 February 2017 | From: Julie |
| The latest craze for raspberry is the vastly overpriced pot grown dwarf types due to patent obligations. Ruby Beauty or Raspberry Shortcake(NR7) as it’s known in the States has largely been a hit and miss affair, nevertheless it has had some ‘rave’ reviews from those promoting its sale. I found it to be very low yielding, prone to pest attack. Tulameen is still the best for the UK gardening summer with Polka or Autumn Treasure for a double cropping type! | |
| Date: 2 November 2016 | From: Tony F |
| QUESTION: I am going to replace my summer fruiting double row of raspberries as they have lost vigour and aren’t cropping very well. I like the look of Glen Magna and Tulameen, would it be ok to plant a row of each next to each other?
ANSWER: Planting two varieties of summer fruiting raspberries will be fine. They may well send up shoots which end up with mixed rows but that depends on how close together they are. They both have exactly the same pruning and cultivation needs. You may find that Tulameen needs a little bit more support than the Glen Magna plants. |
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| Date: 31 July 2016 | From: Peter | |
| You can get earlier golden raspberries by leaving a few canes of All Gold to overwinter and they should produce an earlier crop. Taste is not so good though. | ||
| Date: 02 March 2015 | From: Alan Baggott | |
| Good Afternoon – I am writing to ask what variety of yellow raspberry would you recommend – I am look to grow a Summer fruiting variety. Thanking you for your assistance and look forward to hearing from you.
ANSWER: Your question is interesting because as far as I know there are no yellow summer fruiting raspberries, only autumn fruiting ones. Wonder why? |
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RECOMMENDED RASPBERRY VARIETIES
Raspberry plants are still undergoing a vigorous breeding program and several new varieties are introduced each year. Some are good and some not so good, we recommend our favourites below and explain why.
We have split the varieties into summer fruiting and autumn fruiting. Where a variety has been awarded an AGM by the Royal Horticultural Society this is also noted. Raspberry plants can be bought as bare-rooted in autumn and winter or as potted plants (more expensive) at any time of year.