Raspberry Aroma Queen (Everbearing) - Rubus idaeus

Rubus idaeus Aroma Queen ('Aromquee') is a perpetual variety that produces large, round, firm, dark red fruits. Their taste is similar to wild raspberries. It is a productive variety with good disease resistance. Plant from October to March for a harvest from August to October, and then around June the following year.

Rubus idaeus belongs to the Rosaceae family, like strawberries, blackberries, and wild roses. The wild raspberry is native to Europe and temperate Asia, where it grows in cool climates alongside elderberry, beech, or rowan, especially in mountainous undergrowth. It also grows on plains.

The raspberry is a deciduous shrub with upright stems, forming a bush about 1.5m (5ft) in all directions over time. The stems or canes are biennial, each having the peculiarity of dying after fruiting. Every year, new suckers emerge from its roots. The new canes are armed with small, slightly prickly thorns. Its leaves are green on top, and white-green and tomentose on the underside. The flowering is honey-rich. The small white flowers (1 to 2cm (1in) in diameter) are grouped in small clusters of 10 to 12. They appear in April-May. The fruits are formed by small agglutinated drupes, which are easy to detach when ripe.

Production reaches its normal level in the third year after planting. One plant can produce fruit for around 10 years. There are two types of raspberries: perpetual varieties (like Aroma Queen), which produce in autumn (generally from August to October) and then around June the following year, and non-perpetual varieties, which have a bountiful harvest around June-July.

To fully enjoy their flavour, raspberries should be consumed quickly after picking, as they do not keep well. If you have a bountiful harvest, consider making coulis, sorbets, pies, or jams. You can also freeze them.