Practical
Plants

Rubus idaeus

Raspberry

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Rubus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
2 m
Spread
1.5 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Self

Uses

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[10][21][23][22]. Delicious when eaten out of hand, the fruit is also used in pies, preserves etc[8]. Root - cooked. The root, which should be neither too young nor too old, requires a lot of boiling[23]. Young shoots - peeled and eaten raw or cooked like asparagus[6]. They are harvested as they emerge through the ground in the spring and whilst they are still tender. A herb tea is made from the dried leaves[12][20][8]. Another report says that a type of tea made from raspberry and blackberry leaves is an excellent coffee substitute[23].

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Stem
Product or use
Tea

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.

Antiemetic[3][4]. The leaves and roots are anti-inflammatory, astringent, decongestant, ophthalmic, oxytocic and stimulant[19][3][4][13][16]. A tea made from them is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, as a tonic for the uterus to strengthen pregnant women, and as an aid in childbirth[19][13][17]. The tea has also been shown as effective in relieving painful menstrual cramps[13]. The active ingredients both stimulate and relax the uterus[13]. They can be used during the last three months of pregnancy and during childbirth, but should not be used earlier[14]. Externally, the leaves and roots are used as a gargle to treat tonsillitis and mouth inflammations, as a poultice and wash to treat sores, conjunctivitis, minor wounds, burns and varicose ulcers[14][17]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[24]. The fruit is antiscorbutic and diuretic[23]. Fresh raspberry juice, mixed with a little honey, makes an excellent refrigerant beverage to be taken in the heat of a fever[12]. Made into a syrup, it is said to have a beneficial effect on the heart[12].

Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Birthing aid
Product or use
Cardiac
Product or use
Decongestant
Product or use
Oxytoxic

Material uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[5]. A fibre obtained from the stems is used in making paper[9]. The stems are harvested in the summer after the fruit has been eaten, the leaves are removed and the stems are steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then hand beaten with mallets or ball milled for 3 hours. The paper is light brown in colour[9]. A decongestant face-mask made from the fruit is used cosmetically to soothe reddened skin[23].

Product or use
Cosmetic
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Paper

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain and temperate Asia.
Habitat
Moist neglected land, hedgerows and woodland edges[23][2][15].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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[11]. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[11].

Cultivation

Prefers a good deep well-drained loamy soil on the acid side[1][18]. Dislikes very heavy soils[1][11], light soils[19] and alkaline soils[11]. Prefers an open position but tolerates some shade[1]. Plants crop less well when grown in the shade of trees though they do well in the open on a north-facing slope[11]. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds[11]. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5[11]. Raspberries are frequently cultivated in temperate regions of the world, both in the garden and commercially, for their edible fruit. There are many named varieties able to supply fresh fruit from mid-summer to the autumn[1][11]. High costs of picking the fruit means that little is actually sold fresh, most of the commercially cultivated crops either being used for preserves or grown for the 'Pick Your Own' trade. All the cultivars are self-fertile[11]. This species has 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[11]. It is best not to grow raspberries near blackberries or potatoes[7]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[11].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

  3. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩1↩2

  4. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  6. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩

  7. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  9. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  11. 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↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  12. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  14. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  15. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩

  16. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩

  17. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  18. Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975-00-00

    ↩

  19. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

  21. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩

  22. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  23. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  24. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

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