Raspberry Planting & Harvesting Program

Johnny's Fruit Harvest Programs


Season Extension by Variety Selection

Extend your raspberry harvest through variety selection. Use our charts to choose varieties by key distinguishing features and the following seasonal fruiting/harvesting slots: Take note that actual ripening times will vary depending upon your latitude/geolocation, microclimate, cultivation practices, and year-to-year climate variation, among other factors.

Chart: Raspberry Harvest Window

Fruit color: Black Gold/yellow Purple Red
Variety June July August September October
Summer-Fruiting (Floricane) Varieties
'Boyne'
'Prelude'
'Bristol'
'Jewel'
'Tahi'
'Killarney'
'Latham'
'Royalty Purple'
'Nova'
'Encore'
'Mac Black'
Everbearing / Fall-bearing (Primocane) Varieties
'Niwot'* ♥
'Imara'
'Polka'
'Heritage'
'Himbo Top'
'Polana'† ♦
'Joan J'
'Caroline'
'Anne'
'Double Gold'
† Included in our Red Raspberry Plant Collection
♦ Included in the Berry Lover's Plant Collection
♥ Included in the Rainbow Raspberry Plant Collection
* While technically a floricane, Niwot has a harvest window similar to primocane varieties.




Raspberry Variety Comparison Chart

Variety* Fruiting Season Fruit Size First Color Growing Zones Notes
Summer-Fruiting (Floricane) Varieties
'Boyne' Early Medium Red 3–8 Cold-hardy and great for jam.
'Prelude' Very early Medium-large Red 4–8 Typically bears most of its fruit in mid June, followed by a smaller fall season harvest.
'Bristol' Early Medium Black 5–8 Vigorous plants with powdery mildew resistance.
'Jewel' Midseason Large Glossy black 5–8 Fruit ripens uniformly for a concentrated harvest.
'Tahi' Midseason Large Deep black 5–8 Spineless black raspberry.
'Killarney' Midseason Medium Red 3–7 Superior baking quality.
'Latham' Midseason Medium-large Red 3–8 Winter-hardiness meets exceptional fruit quality.
'Royalty Purple' Midseason Large Purple 4–8 Prized for jams and jellies.
'Nova' Midseason Medium-large Red 3–8 Consistent yield, few thorns, improved winter hardiness.
'Encore' Late midseason Large Red 4–7 Mid/late summer-bearing variety to help fill the harvest gap in late July to early August between standard early- and late-season varieties.
'Mac Black' Late midseason Medium Black 5–8 Has shown some observed resistance to anthracnose.
Everbearing/Fall-Fruiting (Primocane) Varieties
'Imara' Midseason Medium Red 5–8 Reliable and bountiful.
'Niwot'* ♥ Midseason Large Black 5–8 Niwot can produce an excellent floricane crop followed by a fall harvest (see above for fall harvest slot).
'Polka' Midseason Large Red 5–8 Easy to grow.
'Heritage' Midseason and late season dual harvest. Large Red 3–8 Heirloom with sturdy canes that often don't require support.
'Himbo Top' Midseason and late season dual harvest. Red 4–8 Vigorous and disease resistant.
'Polana'† ♦ Late summer to early fall-bearing Medium-large Glossy red 3–8 Standard everbearing raspberry, helps fill the gap between summer- and fall-bearing varieties.
'Joan J' Late summer to early fall-bearing Large Glossy red 4–8 Thornless and productive.
'Caroline' Mid fall-bearing Medium-large Red 4–7 Full, intense flavor. Matures later than Polana, earlier than Anne.
'Anne' Mid fall-bearing Large Pale yellow 4–7 Known for excellent, very sweet flavor.
'Double Gold' Can be grown as floricane (summer) and primocane (fall) producer Large Deep blush, golden champagne 5–7 Bears some fruit the first fall of planting year, and either summers or falls after that depending on how it is managed.

† Included in our Red Raspberry Plant Collection
♦ Included in the Berry Lover's Plant Collection
♥ Included in the Rainbow Raspberry Plant Collection
* While technically a floricane, Niwot has a harvest window similar to primocane varieties.