Flower profile

Wineberry

Rubus phoenicolasius

Introduced in the lower 48

Wineberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced 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 May–July.

21states

9of our state lists

43,182U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia

🚫

Regulated invasive plant in Maryland, New York, Connecticut and Delaware. It's on those states' official invasive plant lists (Maryland: Prohibited invasive plant (some phase-outs run to 2028); New York: Prohibited invasive species (6 NYCRR § 575.3); Connecticut: Prohibited invasive plant (some listings take effect on later dates; see the statute); Delaware: Invasive Plant List (sale and propagation prohibited)). Please don't plant or share it there. ^{MD prohibited invasive list 6 NYCRR Part 575 CGS § 22a-381d 3 DE Admin. Code 806}

Quick look

Rubus phoenicolasius is an Asian species of raspberry in the rose family.
From Wikipedia's article Rubus phoenicolasius, 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 introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Maryland, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 8,131 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #1 among the 110 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,927 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #14 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,761 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #24 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist

State flower gift ideas

This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.

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

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State flower print
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Birth-flower necklace
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Wildflower seed favors
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Botanical tea towel
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Pressed-flower frame
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Flower-garden mug
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (210 records)

Bloom time in each of our 9 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maryland	Introduced	April–June	8,131
Pennsylvania	Introduced	May–July	6,927
New York	Introduced	May–July	6,761
Virginia	Introduced	May–June	6,067
New Jersey	Introduced	few records	5,991
Connecticut	Introduced	few records	1,837
West Virginia	Introduced	few records	852
Delaware	Introduced	few records	780
Rhode Island	Introduced	few records	421

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
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in West Virginia.
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
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 peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Juicy bright red fruits are eaten raw or cooked. Sweet and tart with a raspberry-like flavor, wineberries are used similarly to raspberries to make pastries, such as pie or other sweet treats.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. 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 wineberry in 21 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Centre, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Westmoreland, York.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Bronx, Cayuga, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Tompkins, Ulster, Wayne, Westchester.

More Maryland flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MD: May–July

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MD: May–June

Mock strawberry

Potentilla indica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MD: April–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUPH.
iNaturalist, Rubus phoenicolasius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Rubus phoenicolasius (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Rubus phoenicolasius (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Ben Sims via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.