Crimson Night Raspberry is a fall-bearing everbearing variety discovered in 2003 and introduced to gardeners in 2012 by Cornell University. This dual-season producer thrives in hardiness zones 4-8, reaching 60 to 96 inches tall with a compact growth habit that makes it surprisingly at home in containers, even in colder northern climates. You'll harvest medium to large purple berries twice a year, with floricane berries ripening in late June and primocane berries following in fall, giving you fresh raspberries over an extended season.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-8
96in H x 60in W
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High
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The real story here is the extended harvest window. Unlike traditional summer-only raspberries, Crimson Night produces two separate crops from different cane types, stretching your berry season from early summer through fall frost. The thick, sturdy canes grow vigorously and develop a distinctive red color, standing out in the garden even when not in fruit. Its compact growth pattern and manageable size make it one of the few everbearing raspberries suited to container cultivation, opening up possibilities for gardeners with limited space or those in colder regions.
As a fresh-eating raspberry with medium to large berries, Crimson Night works beautifully in the kitchen garden for snacking straight off the cane. The extended harvest from June through fall frost makes it particularly valuable for home preserving projects, where gardeners can capture berries across two distinct picking windows for jams, syrups, or frozen fruit. Its manageable cane size and container-growing potential also make it a choice for ornamental edible landscapes where both aesthetic appeal and productivity matter.
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Plant bare-root or container-grown Crimson Night raspberry in early spring or fall. Space plants 96 inches apart in rows, allowing room for the canes to reach their mature width of 48 to 60 inches. Choose a location with full sun exposure. In northern gardens, early spring planting gives the plant the full growing season to establish before winter stress arrives.
Expect your first harvest in late June when the floricane berries ripen to deep purple and pull easily from the cane with a gentle tug; they should feel slightly soft but still firm enough to hold their shape. A second, more abundant harvest follows in fall from the primocane berries, continuing until frost stops production. The medium to large berries ripen consistently, so pick every two to three days during peak season. Harvest in early morning when berries are still cool, and handle gently to avoid crushing the delicate fruit.
As an everbearing variety, Crimson Night follows a two-crop system requiring selective pruning. Remove floricane (two-year-old) canes that have finished fruiting in late summer or early fall, cutting them at ground level. Primocane (first-year) canes that will produce fall fruit should be left standing. In late winter or early spring before growth resumes, thin out weak, spindly, or damaged primocanes, keeping the strongest, most vigorous canes. The sturdy nature of Crimson Night's canes means they generally don't require tipping (cutting the top) unless they exceed your preferred height.
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“Crimson Night emerged from Cornell University's raspberry breeding program, discovered in 2003 and formally introduced to gardeners in 2012. This represents a significant achievement in cold-climate raspberry breeding, as Cornell's horticultural researchers sought a variety capable of thriving in northern gardens while offering the productivity advantage of everbearing genetics. The introduction followed nearly a decade of evaluation, suggesting the breeders wanted to ensure this cultivar could deliver reliable dual-season harvests even in the challenging conditions of zone 4.”