Practical
Plants

Rubus ellipticus

Golden Evergreen Raspberry

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Rubus genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Rubus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
4.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[[12][13][6][11]. A good raspberry-like flavour[3][4][6]. Sweet with a pleasant blend of acidity[7]. he golden yellow fruit is about 10mm in diameter[10]. Annual yields from wild plants in the Himalayas are about 750g from a plant occupying 2.5m²[7]. The fruit contains about 10.9% sugars, 1.1% protein, 0.5% ash, 0.55 pectin[7].

Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is astringent and febrifuge[11]. A decoction of the root, combined with Girardinia diversifolia root and the bark of Lagerstroemia parviflora, is used in the treatment of fevers[11]. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers, gastric troubles, diarrhoea and dysentery[11]. A paste of the roots is applied externally to wounds[11]. Both the roots and the young shoots are considered to be a good treatment for colic[11]. The leaf buds, combined with Centella asiatica and Cynodon dactylon, are pounded to a juice and used in the treatment of peptic ulcers[11]. The juice of the fruit is used in the treatment of fever, colic, coughs and sore throat[11]. The inner bark is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a sweet and sour flavour plus a heating potency[9]. A renal tonic and antidiuretic, it is used in the treatment of weakening of the senses, vaginal/seminal discharge, polyuria and micturation during sleep[9].

Product or use
Kidney
Product or use
Miscellany
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[5]. The plant is grown to deter soil erosion and is good for soil conservation[11].

Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Earth stabiliser

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas from Pakistan to China, also in S. India and Sri Lanka.
Habitat
Shrubberies and open hillsides, to 2300 metres in the Himalayas[13]. Dry slopes, montane valleys, sparse forests and thickets at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[8]. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[8].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1][2][8]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, but it tolerates some frost and should succeed outdoors in the south and west of the country[8]. Cultivated for its edible fruit in southern U.S.A[12]. The fruit is sold in local markets in the Himalayas[7][11]. This species has become established and naturalized in some areas of the Andes in S. America, where it is looking as though it could become a serious weed problem. This species is a raspberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die[8]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  3. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

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  4. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

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  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. 1982-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  9. Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants Tibetan Medical Publications, India 1994-00-00 ISBN 81-900489-0-2

    ↩1↩2

  10. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

  11. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  13. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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