On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:54:54 +0100, Joanna
wrote:

Rubus leucodermis and Rubus occidentalis
are black-fruited American raspberries, but whether one of these is
what Focus are selling, instead of a variant of Rubus idaeus, or a hybrid of
some description, I can't say. (Wikipedia tells me that the American
black raspberry has its own taste, distinct from both that of the
European raspberry and that of the blackberry.)


Sorry for the late update. I wrote to Focus to ask them. Unfortunately
they have not given me a definitive answer. They did however helpfully
look up "black raspberry" on the internet and pointed me towards the
wikipedia entry for R. occidentalis! I have written back to point out
that the label says R nigrum not R occidentalis and to ask them to ask
their supplier. Of course by the time this gets resolved it will be
too late to buy and plant any!

I see that garden centres still have stock of raspberries. Is it too
late to plant them? Sadly the Focus stores seem to have sold out of
the black variety and the stores which do have one or two left seem to
have a "dead stick of wood in a pot". How can I be sure it is a
dormant plant rather than a dead one before I buy?

Thanks.