The raspberry ‘Pathfinder’ (Rubus idaeus) is the first autumn raspberry to ripen, offering the longest harvest season among hardy, remontant raspberries.

With a classic flavor, it is highly productive, providing a harvest window long enough for satisfactory yields before the first frosts, especially important north of Montreal. It produces on first-year canes, making pruning easier: simply mow down all the canes to the ground after the harvest, which is halted by the autumn frosts.

These compact raspberries do not require staking and are convenient for low hedges, where you can appreciate their spreading suckers, which can be managed with a mower or various hand tools. The young shoots can be consumed like asparagus, either raw or cooked, or made into sweet herbal tea before they become invasive.

Choose its final location carefully, as it thrives in well-drained soil and is comfortable in slightly acidic soil, but it can quickly become persistent and a bit of a colonizer. Although the plant will thrive, the harvest will be juicier if it avoids drought. Enjoy harvesting perfectly ripened raspberries, selected for their flavor and much sweeter than those found in stores, while cutting costs that are rising due to labor-intensive harvesting.

The production of  raspberry ‘Pathfinder’ begins in its second year and may decline after 7 or 8 years of good harvests due to disease. It is self-pollinating.