Raspberry

Edible fruit

For other uses, see Raspberry (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Rasberry (disambiguation).

Red-fruited raspberries European Rubus idaeus raspberry fruits on the plant

Halved raspberry (left) and blackberry (right); torus does not remain when the fruit is picked in the former but does in the latter

The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus.[1] The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with woody stems.[2]

World production of raspberries in 2023 was 940,979 tonnes, led by Russia with 23% of the total. Raspberries are cultivated across northern Europe and North America and are consumed in various ways, including as whole fruit and in preserves, cakes, ice cream, and liqueurs.[3]

## Description

[edit]

A raspberry is an aggregate fruit, developing from the numerous distinct carpels of a single flower.[4] Each carpel then grows into individual drupelets, which, taken together, form the body of a single raspberry fruit. As with blackberries, each drupelet contains a seed. What distinguishes the raspberry from its blackberry relatives is whether or not the torus (receptacle or stem) "picks with" (i.e., stays with) the fruit. When picking a blackberry fruit, the torus stays with the fruit. With a raspberry, the torus remains on the plant, leaving a hollow core in the raspberry fruit.[5]

An individual raspberry weighs 3–5 g (0.11–0.18 oz) and is made up of around 100 drupelets.[6] A raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries a year.[citation needed]

Raspberries thrive in well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7 with ample organic matter to assist in retaining water.[7] Raspberries need ample sun and water for optimal development. While moisture is essential, wet and heavy soils or excess irrigation can bring on Phytophthora root rot, which is one of the most serious pest problems faced by the red raspberry. As a cultivated plant in moist, temperate regions, it is easy to grow and tends to spread unless pruned. Escaped raspberries frequently appear as garden weeds, spread by seeds found in bird droppings.[citation needed]

Raspberries are grown for the fresh fruit market and for commercial processing into individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, purée, juice, or dried fruit used in a variety of grocery products such as raspberry pie.

## Etymology

[edit]

Raspberry is a compound word from rasp and berry first in print in 1602.[8] Rasp in this sense derives from raspise, "a sweet rose-colored wine" (mid-15th century), from the Anglo-Latin vinum raspeys. The speculation that it is derived from a Germanic word like the English rasp, so a "rough berry", based upon its appearance is a possible folk etymology according to Etymonline.[9] The word rasp is still used for the fruit in the north of England and in Scotland. It was first in print in 1555.[10]

## Species

[edit]

The fruit of four species of raspberry. Clockwise from top left: boulder raspberry, Korean raspberry, Australian native raspberry, and Mauritius raspberry. Purple-fruited raspberry hybrid

Examples of raspberry species in Rubus subgenus Idaeobatus include:

* Rubus crataegifolius (Asian raspberry)
* Rubus gunnianus (Tasmanian alpine raspberry)
* Rubus idaeus (red raspberry or European red raspberry)
* Rubus leucodermis (whitebark raspberry or western raspberry, blue raspberry, black raspberry)
* Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
* Rubus parvifolius (Australian native raspberry)
* Rubus phoenicolasius (wine raspberry or wineberry)
* Rubus rosifolius (Mauritius raspberry)
* Rubus strigosus (American red raspberry) (syn. R. idaeus var. strigosus)
* Rubus ellipticus (yellow Himalayan raspberry)
* Rubus fraxinifolius (mountain raspberry, in southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean)

Several species of Rubus, also called raspberries, are classified in other subgenera, including:

* Rubus deliciosus (boulder raspberry, subgenus Anoplobatus)
* Rubus odoratus (flowering raspberry, subgenus Anoplobatus)
* Rubus nivalis (snow raspberry, subgenus Chamaebatus)
* Rubus arcticus (Arctic raspberry, subgenus Cyclactis)
* Rubus sieboldii (Molucca raspberry, subgenus Malachobatus)

## Cultivation

[edit]

Flower

Various kinds of raspberries can be cultivated from hardiness zones 3 to 9.[11] Raspberries are traditionally planted in the winter as dormant canes, although planting of tender, plug plants produced by tissue culture has become much more common. A specialized production system called "long cane production" involves growing canes for a year in a northern climate such as Scotland or Oregon or Washington, where the chilling requirement for proper bud break is attained, or attained earlier than the ultimate place of planting. These canes are then dug, roots and all, to be replanted in warmer climates such as Spain, where they quickly flower and produce a very early season crop. Plants are typically planted 2–6 per meter in fertile, well drained soil; raspberries are usually planted in raised beds/ridges, if there is any question about root rot problems.[citation needed]

All cultivars of raspberries have perennial roots, but many do not have perennial shoots. In fact, most raspberries have shoots that are biennial (meaning shoots grow in the first growing season and fruits grow on those shoots during the second growing season).[12] The flowers can be a major nectar source for honeybees and other pollinators.[citation needed]

Raspberries are vigorous and can be locally invasive. They propagate using basal shoots (also known as suckers), extended underground shoots that develop roots and individual plants. They can sucker new canes some distance from the main plant. For this reason, raspberries spread well, and can take over gardens if left unchecked. Raspberries are often propagated using cuttings, and will root readily in moist soil conditions.

The fruit is harvested when it comes off the receptacle easily and has turned a deep color (red, black, purple, or golden yellow, depending on the species and cultivar). This is when the fruits are ripest and sweetest.

High tunnel bramble production offers the opportunity to bridge gaps in availability during late fall and late spring. Furthermore, high tunnels allow less hardy floricane-fruiting raspberries to overwinter in climates where they would not otherwise survive. In the tunnel, plants are established at close spacing usually prior to tunnel construction.[13]

### Cultivars

[edit]

#### Major cultivars

[edit]

Yellow cultivar

Raspberries are an important commercial fruit crop, widely grown in all temperate regions of the world. Many of the most important modern commercial red raspberry cultivars derive from hybrids between R. idaeus and R. strigosus.[11] Some botanists consider the Eurasian and American red raspberries to belong to a single, circumboreal species, Rubus idaeus, with the European plants then classified as either R. idaeus subsp. idaeus or R. idaeus var. idaeus, and the native North American red raspberries classified as either R. idaeus subsp. strigosus, or R. idaeus var. strigosus. Recent breeding has resulted in cultivars that are thornless and more strongly upright, not needing staking.[citation needed]

The black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis, is also cultivated, providing both fresh and frozen fruit, as well as jams, preserves, and other products, all with that species' distinctive flavor.

Purple raspberries have been produced by horticultural hybridization of red and black raspberries, and have also been found in the wild in a few places (for example, in Vermont) where the American red and the black raspberries both grow naturally. Commercial production of purple-fruited raspberries is rare.

Blue raspberry is a local name used in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada,[14] for the cultivar 'Columbian', a hybrid (purple raspberry) of R. strigosus and R. occidentalis.[15] Blue raspberry can also refer to the whitebark raspberry, R. leucodermis.[citation needed]

Both the red and the black raspberry species have albino-like pale-yellow natural or horticultural variants, resulting from presence of recessive genes that impede production of anthocyanin pigments.[16] Fruits from such plants are called golden raspberries or yellow raspberries; despite their similar appearance, they retain the distinctive flavor of their respective species (red or black). Most pale-fruited raspberries commercially sold in the eastern United States are derivatives of red raspberries. Yellow-fruited variants of the black raspberry are sometimes grown in home gardens.

Red raspberries have also been crossed with various species in other subgenera of the genus Rubus, resulting in a number of hybrids, the first of which was the loganberry. Later notable hybrids include the olallieberry, boysenberry, marionberry, and tayberry; all are multi-generational hybrids. Hybridization between the familiar cultivated red raspberries and a few Asiatic species of Rubus has also been achieved.

#### Selected cultivars

[edit]

Numerous raspberry cultivars have been selected.

Two types of raspberry are available for commercial and domestic cultivation; the summer-bearing type produces an abundance of fruit on second-year canes (floricanes) within a relatively short period in midsummer, and double or "everbearing" plants, which also bear some fruit on first-year canes (primocanes) in the late summer and fall, as well as the summer crop on second-year canes. Those marked (AGM) have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

##### Red, early summer fruiting

[edit]

* Boyne
* Cascade Dawn
* Fertödi Venus
* Glen Clova
* Glen Moy (AGM)[17]
* Killarney
* Latham
* Malahat
* Malling Exploit
* Malling Jewel (AGM)[18]
* Prelude [19]
* Rubin Bulgarski
* Titan
* Willamette

##### Red, mid-summer fruiting

[edit]

* Cuthbert
* Glen Ample (AGM)[20]
* Lloyd George
* Meeker
* Newburgh
* Ripley
* Skeena
* Cowichan
* Chemainus
* Saanich

##### Red, late summer fruiting

[edit]

* Cascade Delight
* Coho
* Fertödi Rubina
* Glen Magna (AGM)[21]
* Leo (AGM)[22]
* Malling Admiral (AGM)[23]
* Octavia
* Schoenemann
* Tulameen (AGM)[24]

##### Red primocane, autumn fruiting

[edit]

* Amity
* Augusta
* Autumn Bliss (AGM)[25]
* Joan J. (Thornless)
* Caroline
* Fertödi Kétszertermö
* Heritage
* Imara
* Joan J[26]
* Josephine
* Kwanza
* Kweli
* Mapema
* Polka (AGM)[27]
* Rafiki
* Ripley
* Summit
* Zeva Herbsternte

##### Yellow primocane, autumn fruiting

[edit]

* Anne
* Fallgold
* Fertödi Aranyfürt
* Goldenwest
* Golden Queen
* Honey Queen
* Jambo
* Kiwi Gold

##### Purple (hybrids between black and red raspberries)

[edit]

* Brandywine
* Glencoe
* Royalty

##### Black

[edit]

Main article: Rubus occidentalis

* Black Hawk
* Bristol
* Cumberland
* Jewel
* Logan
* Morrison
* Munger
* Ohio Everbearer
* Scepter

##### Dwarf cultivars

[edit]

* Ruby Beauty = 'Nr7'[28]

### Diseases and pests

[edit]

Raspberries are sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths). More serious are the raspberry beetle (in Europe)[29] and the raspberry fruitworm (in North America),[30] whose larvae can damage raspberries.

Botrytis cinerea, or gray mold, is a common fungal infection of raspberries and other soft fruit under wet conditions. It is seen as a gray mold growing on the raspberries, and particularly affects fruit which are bruised, as the bruises provide an easy entrance point for the spores.

Raspberry plants should not be planted where potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or bulbs have previously been grown, without prior fumigation of the soil. These crops are hosts for the disease Verticillium wilt, a fungus that can stay in the soil for many years and can infest the raspberry crop.

Raspberry production
2023, tonnes
Russia | 219,338

|

Mexico | 190,412
Serbia | 98,674
Poland | 96,100
United States | 62,640
World | 940,979
Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations[31]

#### Animals

[edit]

Raspberries, among other plants with high sugar content like peaches, are prime targets for the Japanese beetle, which relies heavily on these sources as its main food resource. The voracious feeding habits of Japanese beetles not only pose a direct threat to raspberry plants but also increase the risk of transmitting various plant diseases. This dual impact can significantly undermine agricultural productivity, making it crucial for raspberry growers to implement effective pest management strategies to mitigate the damage caused by Japanese beetle infestations.[32][33]

## Production

[edit]

In 2023, world production of raspberries was 940,979 tonnes, led by Russia with 23% of the total (table). Other major producers were Mexico, Serbia, and Poland.

## Nutrition

[edit]

Raspberries, rawNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy| 220 kJ (53 kcal)

Carbohydrates

11.94 g

Sugars| 4.42 g
Dietary fiber| 6.5 g

Fat

0.65 g

Protein

1.2 g

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins| Quantity

%DV†

Thiamine (B1)|

0.032 mg
Riboflavin (B2)|

0.038 mg
Niacin (B3)|

0.598 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)|

0.329 mg
Vitamin B6|

0.055 mg
Folate (B9)|

21 μg
Choline|

12.3 mg
Vitamin C|

29%

26.2 mg
Vitamin E|

0.87 mg
Vitamin K|

7.8 μg
Minerals| Quantity

%DV†

Calcium|

25 mg
Iron|

0.69 mg
Magnesium|

22 mg
Manganese|

29%

0.67 mg
Phosphorus|

29 mg
Potassium|

151 mg
Zinc|

0.42 mg
Other constituents| Quantity
Water| 85.8 g

* * *

Link to USDA Database entry

†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[34] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies[35]

Raw raspberries are 86% water, 12% carbohydrates, and have about 1% each of protein and fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raspberries supply 53 kilocalories and 6.5 grams of dietary fiber. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C (29% of the Daily Value, DV), manganese (29% DV), and dietary fiber (6.5 grams), but otherwise have low content of micronutrients (table).

### Phytochemicals

[edit]

Raspberries contain phytochemicals, such as anthocyanin pigments, ellagic acid, ellagitannins, quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid.[36][37] Yellow raspberries and others with pale-colored fruits are lower in anthocyanin content.[36] Both yellow and red raspberries contain carotenoids, mostly lutein esters, but these are masked by anthocyanins in red raspberries.[38]

### Leaves

[edit]

Raspberry leaves can be used fresh or dried in herbal teas, providing an astringent flavor. In herbal and traditional medicine, raspberry leaves are used for some remedies, although there is no scientifically valid evidence to support their medicinal use.[39]

## See also

[edit]

* Food portal
* Blue raspberry flavor
* Chambord (liqueur)
* Framboise
* List of culinary fruits
* Raspberry ketone
* Raspberry juice
* Red raspberry leaf (herb)
* Thimbleberry

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jules Janick (2011). Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume 32: Raspberry Breeding and Genetics. John Wiley & Sons. p. 51\. ISBN 9780470593813.
2. ^ George Bentham (1858). Handbook of the British Flora: A Description of Flowering Plants and Ferns Indigenous To, Or Naturalized In, the British Isles. Lovell Reeve. p. 189.
3. ^ "Raspberry | Description, Fruit, Cultivation, Types, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
4. ^ "Angiosperm - Petals, Stamens, Sepals". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 6 December 2023. "consist of several separate carpels of one apocarpous gynoecium (e.g., raspberries where each unit is a single carpel"
5. ^ Gina Fernandez; Elena Garcia; David Lockwood. "Fruit development". North Carolina State University, Cooperative Extension. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
6. ^ Iannetta, P. P. M.; Wyman, M.; Neelam, A.; Jones, C.; Taylor, M. A.; Davies, H. V.; Sexton, R. (December 2000). "A causal role for ethylene and endo-beta-1,4-glucanase in the abscission of red-raspberry (Rubus idaeus) drupelets". Physiologia Plantarum. 110 (4): 535–543\. Bibcode:2000PPlan.110..535I. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.2000.1100417.x.
7. ^ Strik, B.C. (2008). "Growing Raspberries in Your Home Garden". Growing Small Fruits. Oregon State University Extension Service. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
8. ^ "raspberry (n. & adj.)". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/1036555274. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
9. ^ "Raspberry". Online Etymology Dictionary. 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
10. ^ "rasp (n.2)". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/1465352289. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
11. ^ a b Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
12. ^ "Brambles (Fruit Production for the Home Gardener)". Fruit Production for the Home Gardener (Penn State Extension). Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
13. ^ "High Tunnel Raspberries and Blackberries", Department of Horticulture publication, Cathy Heidenreich, Marvin Pritts, Mary Jo Kelly., and Kathy Demchak
14. ^ Woolfrey, Sandra Marshall. A Country Mouse with one paw in the Village:Growing up in Prince Edward County (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
15. ^ Hedrick, U.P.; Howe, G.H.; Taylor, O.M.; Berger, A.; Slate, G.L.; Einset, O. (1925). The small fruits of New York. Albany, New York: J. B. Lyon. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2021. page 96
16. ^ Rafique, Muhammad Z.; Carvalho, Elisabete; Stracke, Ralf; Palmieri, Luisa; Herrera, Lorena; Feller, Antje; Malnoy, Mickael; Martens, Stefan (19 December 2016). "Nonsense Mutation Inside Anthocyanidin Synthase Gene Controls Pigmentation in Yellow Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)". Frontiers in Plant Science. 7: 1892. Bibcode:2016FrPS....7.1892R. doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.01892. hdl:10449/36981. PMC 5165238. PMID 28066458.
17. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Glen Moy'". RHS. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
18. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Malling Jewel'". RHS. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
19. ^ "Raspberry Plant Care". 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
20. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Glen Ample'". RHS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
21. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Glen Magna'". RHS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
22. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Leo'". RHS. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
23. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Malling Admiral'". RHS. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
24. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Tulameen'". RHS. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
25. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Autumn Bliss'". RHS. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
26. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Joan J'". RHS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
27. ^ "Rubus idaeus 'Polka'". RHS. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
28. ^ "Rubus idaeus Ruby Beauty = 'Nr7'". RHS. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.Ruby+Beauty+=+'Nr7'&rft.pub=RHS&rft_id=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/347371/Rubus-idaeus-Ruby-Beauty-Nr7-(PBR)-(F)/Details&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Raspberry" class="Z3988">
29. ^ "Byturus tomentosus (BYTUTO)[World distribution]". Global Database. European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). 1 July 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
30. ^ "Raspberry Fruitworm Beetle (Byturus unicolor)". iNaturalist. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
31. ^ "Raspberry production in 2023, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)". UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT). 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
32. ^ "Japanese beetle - Popillia japonica". entnemdept.ufl.edu. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
33. ^ Klein, M (7 January 2022). Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle) (Report). doi:10.1079/cabicompendium.43599.
34. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
35. ^ "TABLE 4-7 Comparison of Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in This Report to Potassium Adequate Intakes Established in the 2005 DRI Report". p. 120. In: Stallings, Virginia A.; Harrison, Meghan; Oria, Maria, eds. (2019). "Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. pp. 101–124\. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. NCBI NBK545428.
36. ^ a b Carvalho E, Franceschi P, Feller A, Palmieri L, Wehrens R, Martens S (2013). "A targeted metabolomics approach to understand differences in flavonoid biosynthesis in red and yellow raspberries". Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. 72: 79–86\. Bibcode:2013PlPB...72...79C. doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.04.001. PMID 23622736.
37. ^ Mazur SP, Nes A, Wold AB, Remberg SF, Aaby K (2014). "Quality and chemical composition of ten red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) genotypes during three harvest seasons". Food Chemistry. 160: 233–40\. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.02.174. PMID 24799233.
38. ^ Carvalho, Elisabete; Fraser, P.D.; Martens, S. (2013). "Carotenoids and tocopherols in yellow and red raspberries". Food Chemistry. 139 (1–4): 744–752\. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.12.047. PMID 23561169.1–4&rft.pages=744-752&rft.date=2013&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.12.047&rft_id=info:pmid/23561169&rft.aulast=Carvalho&rft.aufirst=Elisabete&rft.au=Fraser,+P.D.&rft.au=Martens,+S.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Raspberry" class="Z3988">
39. ^ Holst, Lone; Haavik, Svein; Nordeng, Hedvig (13 June 2009). "Raspberry leaf – Should it be recommended to pregnant women?". Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 15 (4): 204–8\. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.05.003. hdl:1956/3702. PMID 19880082.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Funt, R.C.; Hall, H.K. (2012). Raspberries (Crop Production Science in Horticulture). CABI. ISBN 978-1-84593-791-1.

## External links

[edit]

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

* Raspberry

Look up raspberry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raspberry.

* "Raspberry" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). 1911.
* Raspberries & More (University of Illinois Extension)

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

|

*[%DV]: Percentage of Daily Value