Rubus phoenicolasius (Japanese wineberry, wine raspberry, wineberry or dewberry) is an Asian species of raspberry (Rubus subgenus Idaeobatus) in the rose family.
The species was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental plant and for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries. It has subsequently escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in parts of Europe and North America.
Description
The species is a perennial plant which bears biennial stems ("canes") from the perennial root system. In its first year, a new stem ("primocane") grows vigorously to its full height of , unbranched, and bearing large pinnate leaves with three or five leaflets; The leaves appear in sets of three, where the two side leaves are small, and the center leaf is large. In its second year, the stem ("floricane") does not grow taller, but produces several side shoots, which bear smaller leaves always with three leaflets; the leaves are white underneath. The canes have red glandular hairs.alt=A berry split in half, showing hairs inside.|thumb|The inside of the berry, showing the hairs inside
Etymology
The red hairs of the fruit give the species its scientific name, from the Latin phoenicus, meaning red. Wineberries can be found in many habitats, such as forest, fields, stream banks, and wetland edges, as well as open woods. The first years of growth for wineberries are longer (approximately 32%) than many other black and red raspberries.
Wineberry vine growth may be controlled variously, such as by biological mechanisms increasing susceptibility to diseases, or mechanical effects by digging, excavating or repeatedly cutting back the plant until it dies.
Uses
Wineberries grow in the wild in many parts of the United States, primarily the Appalachian Mountains. They are common along the edges of fields and roadsides, and still are used as breeding stock for raspberry cultivars. They are edible, with no poisonous look-a-likes in North America. Other plants that may be mistaken as wineberries include red raspberry, salmonberry, black raspberry, and blackberry, all of which are edible. Sweet and tart with a raspberry-like flavor, wineberries can be eaten raw, or used similarly to raspberries to make pastries, such as pie or other sweet treats.