Japanese wineberry
Rubus phoenicolasius
Also called Wineberry and Wine raspberry
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitThe canes are covered in soft red bristles rather than thorns, and they glow when the light is behind them — it is worth a place for the winter stems alone. It is INVASIVE in the eastern United States; check before planting there.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 2.5 m tall · 2.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- East Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
The canes carry fine bristles rather than hard thorns.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A cane that arched over and touched the soil has rooted where it landed, and there is a new plant two metres from the old one. This is how it travels — lift the tips onto a support before autumn.Tip layering · disorder
- Small dull brown beetles sitting inside the open flowers in early summer — their grubs are what dry out the stalk end of the fruit two months later.Raspberry beetle · pest