Flower profile
Purple-flowered raspberry
Rubus odoratus
Purple-flowered raspberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia
Quick look
Rubus odoratus, the purple-flowered raspberry, flowering raspberry, or Virginia raspberry, is a species of Rubus native to eastern North America. It is sometimes referred to as thimbleberry, a name more commonly associated with the North American R. parviflorus.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. NatureServe
- In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 5 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 5,159 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #42 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 3,208 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #11 among the 110 flowers on our Vermont list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,157 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #96 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
Purple-flowered raspberry gift ideas
Handmade purple-flowered raspberry gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Purple-flowered raspberry art print
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Purple-flowered raspberry greeting card
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Purple-flowered raspberry mug
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Purple-flowered raspberry earrings
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Purple-flowered raspberry embroidery pattern
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Purple-flowered raspberry sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Native | June–August | 5,159 |
| Vermont | Native | June–August | 3,208 |
| Pennsylvania | Native | May–August | 2,157 |
| West Virginia | Native | May–August | 527 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- New York
- Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. 6 NYCRR § 193.3
- Vermont
- Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. Vermont E&T list
- Pennsylvania
- Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
- West Virginia
- No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S1), IN (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension notes: “Edible but somewhat dry, crumbly and unappetizing.” NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Rubus pedatus (“Creeping Rubus”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records purple-flowered raspberry in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, Wyoming.
Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.
Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.
More New York flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUOD.
- iNaturalist, Rubus odoratus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Rubus odoratus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Rubus odoratus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: Tom Scavo via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.