Rubus thibetanus

Rubus thibetanus Franch. — Deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family, native to western China, mainly Sichuan and Yunnan. It grows on wooded slopes, edges, and mountain thickets of these regions.

In cultivation, it forms a vigorous bush with arched stems, reaching 1.5 to 2 meters in height, with a drooping and airy habit. The biennial stems are covered with a very characteristic waxy white bloom, particularly striking in winter after the leaves have fallen. The leaves are pinnate, composed of numerous finely toothed oval leaflets, dark green and slightly wrinkled on the upper side, densely white-tomentose underneath — this white underside is revealed with every movement of the foliage in the wind, creating a moiré and changing effect very decorative throughout the growing season.

The flowers are small, pinkish-white to pale pink, borne in discreet corymbs along the branches. In its natural habitat, flowering probably extends from June to July. In cultivation, it generally occurs in June. The fruits, small and red, are produced in summer but remain of secondary interest.

It adapts to most well-drained soils, in sun or partial shade. Regular pruning of old stems at ground level promotes the production of new shoots with more intense bloom and more vigorous foliage.