Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects
Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberry
At a Glance: Unarmed spreading shrub with large white flowers. Usually forms dense thickets.
Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Young stems are glandular and hairy; in older stems the bark is shredding.
Leaves: Alternate, maple-leaf shaped with 3-7 lobes, double-toothed, with long glandular stalks, finely fuzzy on both sides; size: 25 cm across; color: light green.
Flowers: Petals white, crinkled like tissue paper, 2-3 cm long; several (3-11) in long stemmed terminal cluster.
Flowering Period: May, June.
Fruits: Bright red, raspberry-like clusters of hairy, round berries; berries separate from inner pith in a thimble, hemispherical shape.
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Prefers direct sunlight.
 full sun > 80%  mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
Wetland Indicator Status:
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low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover
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Birds: The berries are eaten by finches, wrens, jays, bushtits, and quail.
Mammals: Coyotes, foxes, and bears browse the foliage and the berries.
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Suggested References
- Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 140.
- Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 212.
- Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 136.
- Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 261.
- Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 77.
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
