Name
Rubus is a latin name meaning bramble. Idaues is an adjective and means “of Mount Ida”, a sacred mountain associated with the mother goddess in the deepest layers of pre-Greek myth.
Also Known as
- raspberry
- wild raspberry
- red raspberry
Identification Keys
- arching or erect shrub
- multiple stems up to 1 m
- purplish-red stems
- stem has curved prickles
- leaves are alternated
- leaf is palmate-compound with 3-5 (sometimes 7) toothed, pointed, oval leaflets
- leaflet is bright green on upper side and minty-greenish white underneath
- leaflet is long 3.5-6.5 cm and about half as wide
- short, loose raceme
- white, 5-petaled flower
- round, downy, red raspberries in summer and fall
Seasons
- fruits: mid-summer to late summer (sometimes there’s a second season from mid-fall to late fall)
- leaves: spring to fall
Habitat
- moist, sunny or partly shady habitats
- thickets
- hedges
- overgrown fields
- edges or openings of woods
- trail sides
Poisonous Look-alikes
Poison ivy can resemble raspberry, with which it share territory; raspberry stem almost always has thorns whereas poison ivy stem is smooth. Also, the 3-leaflet pattern of some raspberry leaves changes as the plant grows: leaves produced later in the season have 5/7 leaflets rather than 3. Raspberry leave has many fine teeth along the edge, the top surface is very wrinkled where the veins are, and the bottom of the leaves is light minty-greenish white. Poison ivy leave is all green. The stem of poison ivy is brown and cylindrical, while raspberry stem can be green or purplish red, is squared in cross-section, and has prickles.
- Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
- Toxicodendron diversilobum (poison oak) – West Coast of North America
- Toxicodendron pubescens (poison oak) – Eastern United States
Medicine Uses
Parts Used
leaf, fruit
Actions
anti-inflammatory, astringent, decongestant, oxytocic, antiemetic, opthalmic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antidiarrheal, diaphoretic, diuretic, choleretic, hypoglycemic
Systems
Digestion
- protects guts lining from irritation and inflammation
- relieves nausea and suppress vomiting
- astringent for diarrhea, especially for children
- normalizes blood sugar level
Respiratory system
- beneficial for sore throats, colds, flu and catarrh
Immune system
- anti-microbial, inhibits pathogens such as Candida albicans
Reproductive system
- relieves nausea in pregnancy
- prevents miscarriage
- tones uterin and pelvic muscles to prepare childbirth (taken as infusion of leaves, in the last 3 months of pregnacy)
- speeds the healing after the birth
- stimulates the flow of breast milk
- fruits are useful to combat anaemia in pregnancy
Externally
- gargle for sore throats and tonsillitis
- use as mouthwash for mouth ulcers and inflamed gums
- apply poultice or lotion on sores, minor cuts and burns
- useful for conjunctivitis
Food Uses
Parts Used
Fruit, leaf
Main Uses
Raw/cooked fruit, Tea
Nutrition
- source of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium
- vitamin A
- vitamin B1, B2, B6
- vitamin C
- vitamin E
- vitamin K
- pantothenic acid
- folate
Cooking
- eat directly or add in any dessert recipe
- make jams and jellies
- milkshake
- fruit salads
- pies