Flower profile

Thimbleberry

Rubus parviflorus

Native in the lower 48

Thimbleberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

19states

9of our state lists

46,278U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Quick look

Rubus parviflorus, the fruit of which is commonly called the thimbleberry, western thimbleberry or redcap, is a species of Rubus with large hairy leaves and no thorns.
From Wikipedia's article Rubus parviflorus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 19 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. ^iNaturalist
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 4 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 15,980 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #44 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 10,944 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #4 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 7,669 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #3 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist

Thimbleberry gift ideas

Handmade thimbleberry gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

Placeholder

Thimbleberry art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Thimbleberry greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Thimbleberry mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Thimbleberry earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Thimbleberry embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Thimbleberry sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,402 records)

Bloom time in each of our 9 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	April–July	15,980
Washington	Native	May–July	10,944
Oregon	Native	April–July	7,669
Minnesota	Native	June–July	1,939
Montana	Native	June–July	1,845
Michigan	Native	June–July	1,761
Idaho	Native	May–July	1,127
Utah	Native	May–July	842
Wyoming	Native	June–July	775

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Rubus pedatus (“Creeping Rubus”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records thimbleberry in 19 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne.

Washington counties with USDA records: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

More California flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–August

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: April–June

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUPA.
iNaturalist, Rubus parviflorus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Rubus parviflorus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Rubus parviflorus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Jay Brasher via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.