Royalty

Quick Facts

• Type: Summer-bearing purple raspberry (hybrid between black and red raspberries)
• Season: Late-season, helping avoid most spring frost damage
• Flavor: Very sweet, among the sweetest purple raspberries; excellent for fresh use and preserves
• Berry: Large, purple berries with moderate firmness and good freezing quality; can be picked firm and red when slightly immature
• Plant habit: Very productive, long, thorny canes that benefit from trellising
• Best for: Fresh eating, jams, jellies, and freezing in Zones 4–8
• Hardiness & disease: Good winter hardiness with multiple insect resistances, including immunity to raspberry aphid; susceptible to leaf spot so foliage care is important

Royalty is the most popular purple raspberry variety today, prized for its combination of productivity and rich, sweet flavor. Bred as a hybrid between black and red raspberries, it produces large, high-quality purple berries that are excellent for fresh eating and outstanding in jams and jellies. Fruit can also be picked a bit early as firm red berries for a slightly different flavor and texture, giving you flexibility in how you market the crop.

The plants are very productive, with long, thorny canes that respond well to trellising to keep rows manageable and picking efficient. As a late-season variety, Royalty tends to avoid most spring frost damage, extending the raspberry harvest window into the tail end of summer. It carries multiple insect resistances, including immunity to raspberry aphid, which helps extend the productive life of the planting, but it is susceptible to leaf spot, so good canopy management and disease monitoring are important.

For spacing and plant count recommendations for summer-bearing raspberries, see our Raspberry Spacing & Planting Guide before planting.