Raspberries are a wonderful addition to any garden. Raspberries in the store are expensive and usually not nearly as tasty, since they’re bred more to travel well in the back of a truck than to taste good. If you can have raspberries in your garden, you should. Keep reading to learn more about growing raspberries in zone 8 and the best raspberry varieties for zone 8 gardens.
Growing Raspberries in Zone 8
As a rule, raspberries are hardy all the way from zone 3 through 9. There are a wide range of raspberry varieties, however, and some are much better suited to growing in hot summers and mild winters than others. Raspberry plants come in two main types: erect and trailing. Erect canes tend to be better suited to cold climates, while trailing brambles perform better in warmer zones like 8.
Best Raspberries for Zone 8
Here are some of the best raspberry varieties for zone 8 gardens. Although all of these are listed as zone 8 raspberries, the Dormanred is the clear frontrunner and likely to produce the best results in the heat of a zone 8 summer: Dormanred – This is by far the most popular and successful of the zone 8 raspberries. It’s an everbearing plant, which means it produces fruit throughout the summer and well into autumn. The main harvest season is midsummer. The fruits are firm and must be allowed to ripen completely before they get really sweet. They’re especially good for jams and pies. Bababerry – This variety is well adapted to hot summers. Another everbearing variety. Plants are very large. Southland – This is another everbearing raspberry that produces a main crop in the summer and another in the fall. The plants don’t perform as well as the Dormanreds in extreme summer heat, and the fruits are not quite as tasty. Mandarin – This is another variety with very good heat tolerance. It produces good, firm berries.