Fruiting raspberries aren't visual enough for the garden, so I grow plenty of ornamental raspberries instead. All of them have exciting foliage, and this one, Rubus idaeus 'Aureus', is a striking and pretty effective groundcover too. It's a dwarf, and startingly non-thorny. Two feet tall tops, but (you've been warned) rambunctiously wide-spreading via thread-thin stolons. Easy to transplant too, in case you want to give some of yours away: Just yank up some, bare-root and bare-handed, and hand it over. No flowers of note, nor fruit, so it's all about the leaves. And look:



















Chrome yellow, without shame, without apology. Perfect near the mahagony-purple lily-pad leaves of Ligularia 'Brit Marie Crawford'.

Rubus idaeus 'Aureus' is only happy in full sun if it has, as they say, "rich moist soil." But it can still scorch. It's easier and more reliable in part shade, or where it gets morning sun only. It's a great groundcover under large (but open) shrubs and trees, which give it the part shade it needs.

I'll post more on this garden beauty so you can enjoy its performance, as well as its shrubby and tree neighbors, over the season.