Raspberry Variety Testing at Highmoor Farm

David Handley pruning raspberries at Highmoor FarmHighmoor Farm is UMaine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s fruit and vegetable research facility in Monmouth. Our goal is to conduct applied research for the fruit and vegetable farmers of Maine and provide educational resources for Maine agriculture to remain competitive.

At Highmoor Farm researchers routinely evaluate apple, berry, and vegetable varieties for important horticultural traits and for disease resistance. Some of the better pumpkin varieties are shown here.

If you would like to learn more about raspberry production and growing raspberries in Maine, visit the UMaine Cooperative Extension Highmoor Farm website. For more information about the college’s research farms visit the Research & Service Facilities page of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station website.


Raspberry Types:

(Click on thumbnails to view enlargements.)

Summer-Bearing Types
Raspberry Variety Raspberry Description
Prelude raspberriesPrelude From New York.
Hardy, very early ripening, medium size fruit with good quality.
Killarney raspberriesKillarney From Manitoba.
Very hardy, high yielding, early ripening; medium-size fruit with good color and flavor.
Nova raspberriesNova From Nova Scotia.
Very hardy, disease resistant plants with nearly thornless canes. Fruit are medium size, firm, with very good color and nice flavor.
Taylor raspberriesTaylor From New York.
An heirloom variety, but with flavor by which all others are compared. Late ripening, with good yield and attractive fruit. Tall canes, fairly hardy, but susceptible to diseases.
Encore raspberriesEncore From New York.
Hardy, late ripening; large, attractive fruit and good yields.

Everbearing or Primocane Fruiting Types: Bear a Summer Crop and a Fall Crop
Raspberry Variety Raspberry Description
Polana raspberriesPolana From Poland.
An everbearing (primocane fruiting) variety that produces an early fall crop to extend the season. Fruit are medium size with good color and fair flavor. High yields.
Joan J raspberriesJoan J From Great Britain.
An everbearing type with an early ripening late summer-fall primocane crop. Large fruit with very good quality. High yielding, thornless canes.
Polka raspberriesPolka From Poland.
An everbearing type with an early ripening late summer-fall primocane crop. Very sweet, attractive fruit. Plants show some disease resistance.
Caroline raspberriesCaroline From Maryland.
An everbearing type with a fall crop that ripens in late August-early September. High yields of sweet, attractive fruit. Plants are very vigorous and spread
Anne raspberriesAnne From Maryland.
A yellow-fruited everbearing (fall fruiting) variety which ripens the fall crop in early September. Pale yellow fruit are large and very sweet.

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