Everbearing Red Raspberry
Rubus idaeus 'Autumn Bliss'
A prolific everbearing raspberry that delivers two harvests per year - a summer crop on second-year canes and a fall crop on first-year canes. Known for producing large, firm berries with excellent flavor and superior keeping quality, making it a favorite among home gardeners seeking extended harvests.
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
4–8
USDA hardiness
Height
6 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Everbearing Red Raspberry in USDA Zone 7
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Everbearing Red Raspberry · Zones 4–8
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0). Drainage: Good Drainage. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet, 6-feet-12 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Division, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Botanically the fruits are not berries (though they are usually called berries)– they are instead made of many small drupes. The fruits hold together in a hollow cone. Cultivars exist in various colors and tend to be more productive than the straight species.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Orange, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, White. Type: Aggregate, Drupe. Length: < 1 inch. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Summer
Bloom time: Spring, Summer
Edibility: Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and delicious when eaten out of hand. The fruit is also used in pies, preserves, and in wines. An herb tea is made from the dried leaves and some say that a type of tea made from raspberry and blackberry leaves is an excellent coffee substitute.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh raspberries are highly perishable and should be refrigerated immediately after harvest. Store unwashed berries in shallow containers lined with paper towels at 32-35°F with high humidity. They'll maintain quality for 3-5 days maximum. Never wash berries until just before eating—moisture accelerates spoilage.
For freezing, spread clean berries on parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze individually before transferring to freezer bags. This prevents clumping and maintains berry shape. Frozen raspberries keep excellently for 10-12 months and work perfectly in smoothies, baking, and jam-making. For jam, use the 1:1 berry-to-sugar ratio within 24 hours of harvest for peak pectin content. Raspberries also dehydrate well at 135°F for 12-18 hours, creating intensely flavored dried berries perfect for trail mixes and cereals.
History & Origin
Everbearing raspberries emerged from selective breeding programs in the early 1900s, building on natural mutations that produced fall-bearing characteristics. The concept originated when American and European breeders noticed occasional raspberry plants producing fruit on first-year canes in addition to the typical second-year fruiting pattern.
The modern everbearing red raspberry represents decades of hybridization work, primarily combining Rubus idaeus (European red raspberry) with American species for hardiness and disease resistance. Key breeding programs at agricultural universities in Minnesota, New York, and Washington state developed many of today's popular everbearing cultivars during the mid-20th century.
These varieties revolutionized home raspberry growing by extending the harvest season and providing more flexibility in garden management. The dual-cropping nature made raspberries more economically viable for small-scale growers and gave home gardeners the option of managing plants for either one large fall crop or two smaller seasonal harvests, depending on their preferences and climate constraints.
Advantages
- +Disease resistance: Deer
- +Attracts: Attracts Pollinators, Edible fruit, Wildlife Cover/Habitat, Wildlife Food Source
- +Wildlife value: Attracts pollinators, bees, and butterflies for its nectar. Fruit is eaten by birds and small mammals and plants provide cover.
- +Edible: Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and delicious when eaten out of hand. The fruit is also used in pies, preserves, and in wines. An herb tea is made from the dried leaves and some say that a type of tea made from raspberry and blackberry leaves is an excellent coffee substitute.
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Garlic
Repels aphids, spider mites, and Japanese beetles while improving soil health
Chives
Deters aphids and enhances raspberry flavor while attracting beneficial insects
Marigolds
Repel nematodes and aphids while attracting pollinators and beneficial predators
Comfrey
Deep roots bring nutrients to surface, provides potassium-rich mulch when cut
Tansy
Repels ants, mice, and flying insects that can damage raspberry plants
Yarrow
Attracts beneficial insects and may enhance disease resistance in nearby plants
Nasturtiums
Trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, adds nitrogen to soil
Strawberries
Similar growing requirements and help suppress weeds as ground cover
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that inhibits raspberry growth and can kill plants
Tomatoes
Both susceptible to similar diseases like verticillium wilt, increasing infection risk
Potatoes
Share common pests and diseases, particularly verticillium wilt and Colorado potato beetle
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346410)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to raspberry bushy dwarf virus and root rot
Common Pests
Raspberry cane borer, aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetles
Diseases
Anthracnose, gray mold, powdery mildew, cane blight