Rubus illecebrosus Japanese Balloon Berry
30 seeds per packet.
An extremely decorative sub-shrub with a creeping habit that is native to the woodlands of Japan. Produces attractive, narrow leaves and large, white flowers in summer, followed by large, red berries, which are excellent in cooking and in making jams and jellies. The plant can stay evergreen in warmer climates but in colder ones it dies down like a perennial and re-shoots in spring. Forms good ground cover once established. Height 40 cm. Moisture retentive but well-drained soil in sun to part shade.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from autumn to early spring. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot outdoors or in cold frame over winter. Seeds germinate in spring.
Alternatively, if seeds can’t be sown in autumn or early spring use the following method: mix seeds with damp vermiculite and place inside a ziplock bag, keep bag somewhere warm for 3 weeks, then place in fridge (not freezer) for 8 weeks. Next spread mixture on top of a pot, thinly cover with compost or grit and keep warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots for growing on.