Thimbleberry

Thimbleberry is a gentle, thicket-forming deciduous shrub native to forests, streambanks, and clearings across much of western and northern North America. It typically grows 3–8 feet tall, with soft, maple-like leaves and thornless stems, making it distinctive among brambles. In late spring to summer it produces large, white, five-petaled flowers that are highly attractive to pollinators. These are followed by delicious red, velvety berries that resemble raspberries in structure but are flatter and more delicate, providing food for birds, mammals, and people. Ecologically, thimbleberry contributes to understory diversity, stabilizes soils, and forms dense thickets that offer excellent wildlife cover. It is tolerant of all light conditions as well as seasonal inundation and drought.