Raspberry - Madawaska

Madawaska is an extremely hardy raspberry (Zone 3) that produces long, lightly spined canes for easy picking. It is very productive with strong suckering, allowing rows to fill in quickly. It shows some sensitivity to powdery mildew but has no major issues with other diseases.

Developed in Ottawa by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, it is a cross of ‘Lloyd George’ × ‘Newman.’ Selected in 1931 (Ottawa 272), it was released in 1943 and named after the Madawaska First Nation.

Planting & spacing: Plant about 2 ft apart in rows (closer for faster fill, wider for slower). Bare-root plants are extremely sensitive to drying—prepare holes before opening packages and plant immediately, or keep roots fully submerged in water until planting. Water thoroughly after planting for best establishment.

Growth habit: Roots are perennial, but individual canes live two years—year one vegetative growth, year two fruiting (July–August), then the cane dies. Remove spent, woody canes at ground level in fall to maintain productivity. First-year canes may be tipped to ~3 ft (1 m) if overly tall.

In heavy-snow regions, loosely tie canes together to reduce winter breakage.