The National Collection is growing all the time. as well as sourcing plants from nurseries, I am also collecting from the wild. Many Botanic Gardens, both in this country and abroad, have been very helpful and thus the collection continues to grow.

Here is our current species list:                       ( W ) = wild collected.    

alceifolius    ( W )(Collectors number-BWC003)  Attractive foliage, simple 3 or 4 lobed mid green leaves with a velvet texture. Low growing shrub, but the occasional shoot will display a climbing habit. White flowers are followed by red fruits. Commonly known as the giant bramble, although this name has been used for other species too. Originating in South East Asia, now widespread throughout Asia and has even become a tropical weed in Australia and some Islands in the Indian Ocean.  Our plants were collected in the wild from Mount Chi Tien,Guiyang county,Hunan.
amphidasys    ( W )(Collectors number-BWC004)  New to cultivation. Palmate leaves, quite pubescent above. Young leaves have strong brown markings. Small white flowers. Red fruits. Found in the Mangshang Mountain reserve, Hunan, China.
arcticus   Found widespread throughout Scandinavia, but also Northern N. America, N. Europe and N. Asia. Formerly native to Britain in the Scottish highlands. Commonly known as the Arctic bramble. Low growing, slow spreader. Deep pink flowers. Small, edible red fruits. I also have the selection 'Sofia'.
assamensis    (W)  This plant was donated to the collection by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. Grown for its attractive ovate leaves and huge racemes of tiny white flowers.
bambusarum     (Syn. henryi var babusarum) Very similar to the climbing species henryi, but   the leaves have very deep lobes. Originating from Central China. Pink to almost red flowers. Evergreen, but can lose its leaves in very cold conditions. Black fruits are produced in large quantities and although edible, they are not particularly tasty.
biflorus     ( W )  Ranging from E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.Commonly grown as an ornamental, as it has wonderful thick white stems that really look good in the winter.   In habit it is more like a raspberry than a bramble, the spiny stems can reach up to 2m or more. Yellow or orange coloured fruit. Edible fruits are an aquired taste.
calophyllus     ( W )Rare species from Bhutan. Deeply veined ovate leaves with a silver underside. Dark red flowers. Semi-evergreen. Requires an acidic soil or the leaves will yellow. Does not seem to survive very cold winters in this country.

chingii   ( W )   Rare species in Western cultivation
cockburnianus     One of the most popular species for winter stem colour. Chinese species named in honor of  the Cockburn family. Pinnate, fern-like leaves. A golden leaf form exsists and has been named `Golden Vale`.
crataegifolius      

Ranging from E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea. Often found wrongly named in collections.

croceacanthus     ( W )  

Beautiful fern-like foliage. Short, prickly stems. White flowers followed by red fruits. My plant was kindly donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. Collected in the wild from Yu Shan National Park, Taiwan.

ellipticus     ( W ) 

Found growing wild over much of Southern Asia, but a invasive foreign invader in Hawaii and many Caribbean islands. Commonly called the 'Himalayan Yellow Raspberry. Very tall stems covered in red hairs look amazing! Not hardy in this country.

flagelliflorus      

A scrambling habit, very similar to henryi in many ways.Silvery white underside to leaf and stems.Stems slightly pubescent. Flowers in spring, plants seem to need cross pollination to produce their black, edible fruits. An attractive ground cover for shade.

fockeanus     ( W ) 

Low growing, prostrate sub-shrub very similar in appearence to R.nepalensis.Kindly donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

formosensis     ( W ) 

Smooth woody stems. Large light green leaves with a central dark pattern. Needs a sheltered position to thrive. Medium sized, white flowers are followed by edible red fruits.

hakonensis     ( W ) 

Originating in the forests of Japan. A messy rambling shrub with glossy light green leaves. Young leaves have a purple underside. Large racemes of tiny flowers.

henryi    ( W ) 

A real great foliage plant from China. Only found for sale in specialist nurseries and labelled as a climber, but in reality is more of a rambler. The foliage is trilobed and very glossy. The creamy white colour of the underside of the leaf is a bonus feature. Flowers are produced in racemes and are a light pink colour. These are followed by edible, black fruits. This species is sometimes refered to as the Climbing Chinese Raspberry.

henryi var henryi    ( W ) (Donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kopenhagen)

In many ways this variety of the species is very similar, especially the growth habit, flower and fruit. However the leaves are quite distinctly different. Leaves are very deeply tri-lobed and about half the size of the species. Possibly an intermediate/hybrid between R.henryi and R.bambusarum.
henryi aff.  

Given to me as R.henryi, but yet to be official identified. Very similar to  R. henryi, but with darker green glossy leaves, greater amount of dense, sharp thorns and flowers are white, bourne in pairs. Fruits red. This is a possible natural hybrid between R. henryi and R. tricolor.

ichangensis

This is one of my favourites. Simple lanceolate leaves. Stunning burgundy coloured young growth. This species is more dry tolerant than most. Masses of tiny flowers are produced on long racemes.

ichangensis (Silver leaf form)

This is an attractive form of the above species, differing only in that the leaves have a silver sheen to them when mature.

illecebrosus    

Japanese species. Commonly called the Strawberry-raspberry. Mature leaves have a silver sheen to them. Flowers are white and quite large. The huge, red fruits have a pleasant taste when mature.

irenaeus    

Beautiful Chinese species with large almost round leaves. Makes a good ground cover plant. Large white flowers are followed by red fruits.

laciniatus   

This species is known as the cut-leaf bramble. Coming from the USA there is speculation that this may not be a true species, but possibly a successful hybrid or oddity.

lambertianus      

Ranging from E. Asia - China, Japan. Glossy mid-green, heart-shaped  leaves. Has a semi-climbing habit. This plant was donated by the University Botanic Gardens, Copenhagen.

lambertianus var pagkouangesis   ( W ) 

This species was found growing in several locations in my travels through forested regions of Hunan. A very vigorous plant with a semi-climbing habit. Similar to the species, but with arrow shaped leaves.

leucodermis     ( W ) 

In its native USA, this species is known as the "Black Raspberry". The insignificant flowers are followed in late spring/early summer by tasty black fruits.

lineatus  

Ranging from the Himalayas through China and Malaya. A fascinating and beautiful species, the deeply lobed almost hand-like leaves are corregated with a silver underside. Tall, woody canes are produced. Needs a sheltered and shady spot.

lineatus var vietnamensis 

This form of the species from Vietnam is different in that the individual leaflets are very narrow, this makes the whole leaf resemble the Cannabis plant! Although as yet untrialled, it is likely to be more tender than the species.

lineatus var sumatrensis 

This form of the species from Sumatra is a tender plant and requires a frost free environment. Once again the foliage differs from the type and has soft rounded hairy leaflets.


 
 
 
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