Purple-flowering raspberry is native to eastern North America, where it inhabits moist
thickets.
Plants: Purple-flowering raspberries are deciduous
shrubs 3-6′ (91-182 cm) high and 3-5′ (91-152 cm) wide. Young branches have many fine thorns, while older woody branches
do not. Instead, they have bark that peels easily.
Leaves: Large palmate leaves to 10″ (25 cm) around
typically have five lobes (sometimes 3 or 7), resembling maple leaves,
significantly different from raspberry or blackberry leaves.
Flowers: Purplish-pink flowers are up to 1-2″ (2.5-5 cm) across,
with five rounded, partially overlapping pink petals and a yellow center.
Fruits: Fruits look much like raspberries, a group of closely spaced round berries, but the group is shaped
more like a dome than a thimble. The attractive purple flowers, large maple-like leaves and dome-shaped
berries are all good identifiers for this species.
Edibility: Berries are edible, fairly tart, with good flavor, but extremely seedy.
Used for wine, and in pies, jellies, and preserves.