Recommended Varieties for Northern and Central Illinois

Red Raspberry

Summer bearing types

Boyne: Extremely winter hardy, good disease resistance, canes 5 to 5 1/2 feet tall, does not necessarily need support, medium sized soft sweet berries, does not store well, spring harvest.

Killarney: Very hardy, sturdy canes, medium sized firm berries, good flavor, good for home gardening and fresh market, spring harvest.

Latham: Have vigorous canes, needs support, large size moderately firm berries, fair in flavor, susceptible to diseases (viral), fruit tends to crumble, spring harvest.

Liberty: Less suckers and rows easy to maintain, early maturing (spring harvest), medium sized berries, good for dessert and freezing, very productive, needs topping or trellising.

Titan: Large fruit size, erect canes, high yields, disease susceptible (Phytophthora), spring harvest.

Everbearing types

Heritage: Widely adapted to many areas, everbearing cultivar, sturdy vigorous canes, firm medium sized berries, spring and fall harvests.

Redwing: Everbearing cultivar, cross between ('Heritage' x 'Fallred'), mature 10-14 days earlier than 'Heritage,' yield, size and color same as for 'Heritage.'

Ruby: Very similar to Titan, spring and fall harvests.

Yellow Raspberry

Goldie: Mutation of Heritage, spring and fall harvests.

Amber: Large berries, late maturing (summer-bearing), very susceptible to leaf curl virus, very good for dessert and good for freezing.

Fallgold: Everbearing, very hardy, super sweet and soft berries.

Purple Raspberry

Brandywine: Very large firm, and tart berries. Vigorous thorny canes, not very hardy. Good for jams and jellies, spring harvest.

Royalty: Very large sweet berries, more disease resistant than 'Brandywine', spring harvest.