Atherton raspberry
Rubus probus
Australia's sweetest native raspberry, fruiting most of the year in warm areas.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide
Harvest: March to June
From: Queensland and New Guinea
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Australia. Hardy in zones 10 to 11.
The story
The Atherton raspberry grows in the rainforests of north Queensland and New Guinea, where Aboriginal and Papuan peoples gathered it; it is a true raspberry that fruits in the tropics, which few do, and bush-food growers now cultivate it.
Planting
Part shade, moist rich soil, heat and humidity; a thorny cane to 6 feet. Plant a cutting or division.
Growing
Keep moist, mulch, and cut fruited canes to the ground. It spreads by suckers.
Harvest and use
Berries ripen red through the warm months; soft, so pick and eat the same day or make jam.
What to watch for
Frost and drought.
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More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home