Raspberry Shortcake® Raspberry

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

Raspberry Shortcake® Raspberry provides an easy way for everyone to grow raspberries, even in a small space. This is a mounding, dwarf variety that doesn’t require staking or training in rows. The full-sized berries appear in midsummer and have a delicious sweet vanilla flavor. Raspberry Shortcake® is thornless so no more pokes when you harvest your berries. It flowers in fragrant, white clusters. 

This compact variety only reaches 3 feet high and wide, and has a rounded form. It is self-pollinating and fruits on new growth. This plant is deciduous and will go dormant in the winter. Grow this beauty in a patio container for easy access to fresh berries or as a compact short hedge with sweet appeal.

Raspberry Shortcake® Raspberry Care

Raspberry Shortcake® grows best in full sun; it tolerates light shade, but will not fruit as abundantly without at least 6 hours of direct sun. It prefers a planting site with slightly acidic soil, rich in organic matter. The soil should be evenly moist, but not water-logged, which can cause root rot. Water regularly during the summer, potentially daily if growing in containers. Fertilize yearly in the spring with a well-balanced, slow-release formula. 

This raspberry is a floricane variety and fruits during the second year. New shoots will emerge each spring called the primocanes and will only bear foliage that season. The next year, these will become the fruit-producing floricanes. In late fall, remove the floricanes that have finished fruiting. You can also thin out crowded primocanes and any dead growth. 

Raspberry Shortcake® Raspberry Spacing

Space raspberry plants at least 3 feet apart. You can train them up a trellis for a more vertical appearance. If growing in a container, use a pot at least 24 inches to accommodate its spreading nature.