The Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is a shrub related to the raspberry that produces a tart red composite fruit. Unlike most other members of the Rubus family, thimbleberry plants have no thorns. The canes grow as attractive, dense shrubs up to 5 feet (1.5 m) or more tall, often in large clumps which spread through the plant's rhizomes. The large palmate leaves are soft and fuzzy. Five-petaled white flowers are followed by berries which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. A willow shrub A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... For the sound made by humans to simulate flatulence (blowing a raspberry) see the USA term, Bronx cheer Species Rubus idaeus raspberry (red) - watercolor 1892 The Raspberry or Red Raspberry, (Rubus idaeus) is a plant that produces a tart, sweet, red composite fruit (not a true berry) in late summer... Fruit stall in Barcelona, Spain. ... Species See text. ... In botany, a rhizome is a horizontal, usually underground stem of a plant that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. ... In botany, palmate refers to leaves that have veins radiating from the point where the leaf attaches to the petiole (stem). ...

In North America, thimbleberries are native to the Pacific Northwest, parts of the Rocky Mountains, and eastward to the Great Lakes region. They typically grow along roadsides and in forest clearings, commonly appearing as an early part of the ecological succession in clear cut and forest fire areas. World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... Darker red states are always part of the Pacific Northwest. ... Rocky Mountain National Park (photo courtesy of NPS) View of Colorado Rockies. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Ecological succession, a fundamental concept in ecology, is the process by which a natural community moves from a simpler level of organisation to a more complex community. ... Deforestation, in general is the sustained removal of trees. ... Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ...

Thimbleberry fruits are larger, flatter, and softer than raspberries, and have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially. However, wild thimbleberries make an excellent jam which is sold as a local delicacy in some parts of their range, notably in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan. Thimbleberry jam is easily made by combining equal volumes of berries and sugar and boiling the mixture for two minutes before packing it into jars. For other meanings of the word jam, see Jam (disambiguation) Jam from berries Jam is a type of fruit preserve. ... The Keweenaw Peninsula is the most northern part of Michigans Upper Peninsula. ...

Thimbleberry plants can be propagated most successfully by planting dormant rhizome segments, as well as from seeds or stem cuttings.