Sinko raspberry is a wild raspberry from East Asia (Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Myanmar) with velvety, softly hairy leaves; it is not native to the US. In spring it bears nodding white flowers, followed by sweet orange-red berries about 3/8 in (1 cm) across. The fruit can be made into jam, juice, and wine.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An upright, deciduous shrub 3–10 ft (1–3 m) tall with prickly stems; the midrib under the leaf and the leaf stalk are prickly too.
- Leaves
- Simple leaves 1¼–4 in (3–10 cm) long, usually unlobed and egg-shaped but sometimes shallowly three-lobed. The upper side is covered with fine, dense hairs that feel like velvet, and the underside has soft hairs along the veins.
- Flowers
- Five-petaled white (sometimes pinkish) flowers 5/8–3/4 in (1.5–2 cm) wide hang downward, opening as the new leaves unfold.
- Fruit
- A round cluster of tiny about 3/8 in (1 cm) wide, ripening yellowish orange to red. It is sweet and edible.
Where it lives
- Range
- Native to Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Myanmar. In Japan it grows from Shizuoka Prefecture westward on Honshu, and on Shikoku and Kyushu.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it grows at forest edges, along mountain trails, and in sunny, shrubby thickets.
Name and classification
- About the name
- In Chinese it is called shan mei (山莓).
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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