Raspberry

This article is about the various species of raspberry in the plant genus Rubus. For the widely cultivated Eurasian red raspberry, see Rubus idaeus. For the eastern North American black raspberry, see Rubus occidentalis. For other meanings, see Raspberry (disambiguation).

Fruit of four species of raspberry. Clockwise from top left: Boulder raspberry, Korean raspberry, Australian native raspberry, West Indian raspberry

The raspberry (/ˈræzˌbɛri/) is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves.

Raspberries are perennial with woody stems.

Major kinds of cultivated raspberries

Fruits of a golden or yellow raspberry 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. 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.

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 Country, Ontario, Canada for the cultivar 'Columbian', a hybrid (purple raspberry) of R. strigosus and R. occidentalis.

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. 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 boysenberry (a multi-generation hybrid), and tayberry. Hybridization between the familiar cultivated red raspberries and a few Asiatic species of Rubus has also been achieved.

Species

Until recently, the most commonly cultivated raspberries have been red-fruited hybrids between R. idaeus and R. strigosus.

Purple-fruited raspberry hybrids (and black raspberries) are of interest to growers because of their potential for nutraceuticals.

Examples of raspberry species in Rubus subgenus Idaeobatus include:

• Rubus crataegifolius (Asian raspberry)
• Rubus gunnianus (Tasmanian alpine raspberry)
• Rubus idaeus (European red raspberry)
• Rubus leucodermis (Whitebark or Western raspberry, Blue raspberry, Black raspberry)
• Rubus occidentalis (Black raspberry)
• Rubus parvifolius (Australian native raspberry)
• Rubus phoenicolasius (Wine raspberry or Wineberry)
• Rubus rosifolius (West Indian raspberry)
• Rubus strigosus (American red raspberry) (syn. R. idaeus var. strigosus)
• Rubus ellipticus (Yellow Himalayan Raspberry)

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

• Rubus arcticus (Arctic raspberry, subgenus Cyclactis)
• Rubus deliciosus (Boulder raspberry, subgenus Anoplobatus)
• Rubus nivalis (Snow raspberry, subgenus Chamaebatus)
• Rubus odoratus (Flowering raspberry, subgenus Anoplobatus)
• Rubus sieboldii (Molucca raspberry, subgenus Malachobatus)

Uses

Fruit

Raspberries are grown for the fresh fruit market and for commercial processing into individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, purée, juice, or as dried fruit used in a variety of grocery products. Traditionally, raspberries were a midsummer crop, but with new technology, cultivars, and transportation, they can now be obtained year-round. Raspberries need ample sun and water for optimal development. Raspberries thrive in well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7 with ample organic matter to assist in retaining water. 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 facing the red raspberry. As a cultivated plant in moist, temperate regions, it is easy to grow and has a tendency to spread unless pruned. Escaped raspberries frequently appear as garden weeds, spread by seeds found in bird droppings.

An individual raspberry weighs 3–5 g (0.11–0.18 oz), and is made up of around 100 drupelets, each of which consists of a juicy pulp and a single central seed. A raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries a year. Unlike blackberries and dewberries, a raspberry has a hollow core once it is removed from the receptacle.

Nutrients and phytochemicals

Raspberries, raw Nutritional 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 Thiamine (B1) (3%) 0.032 mg Riboflavin (B2) (3%) 0.038 mg Niacin (B3) (4%) 0.598 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) (7%) 0.329 mg Vitamin B6 (4%) 0.055 mg Folate (B9) (5%) 21 μg Choline (3%) 12.3 mg Vitamin C (32%) 26.2 mg Vitamin E (6%) 0.87 mg Vitamin K (7%) 7.8 μg Minerals Calcium (3%) 25 mg Iron (5%) 0.69 mg Magnesium (6%) 22 mg Manganese (32%) 0.67 mg Phosphorus (4%) 29 mg Potassium (3%) 151 mg Zinc (4%) 0.42 mg Link to USDA Database entry Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

The aggregate fruit structure contributes to raspberry's nutritional value, as it increases the proportion of dietary fiber, which is among the highest known in whole foods, up to 6% fiber per total weight. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, with 26 mg per 100 g serving (32% Daily Value), manganese (32% Daily Value) and dietary fiber (26% Daily Value). Raspberries are a low-glycemic index food, with total sugar content of only 4% and no starch.

Raspberries contain anthocyanin pigments, ellagic acid (from ellagotannins, see for instance the polyphenol ellagitannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. Yellow raspberries and others with pale-colored fruits are lower in anthocyanins. Both yellow and red raspberries contain carotenoids, mostly lutein esters, but these are masked by anthocyanins in red raspberries.

Commercial production

Top producers of raspberries in tons Shown in 2011 order
Country	2010		2011
Russia	125,000	27%	140,000	26%
Poland	92,864	20%	117,995	22%
Serbia	83,870	18%	89,602	16%
United States	36,741	8%	48,948	9%
Ukraine	25,700	5%	28,100	5%
Mexico	14,343	3%	21,468	4%
United Kingdom	17,000	4%	16,761	3%
Canada	11,864	3%	12,285	2%
Azerbaijan	10,100	2%	11,000	2%
Spain	9,226	2%	9,559	2%
Total	471,322	100%	543,421	100%
Source: UN FAOSTAT

Worldwide raspberry yield

Leaves

Raspberry leaves can be used fresh or dried in herbal teas. They have an astringent flavor, and in herbal medicine are reputed to be effective in regulating menses.

Cultivation

Cultivated raspberry, in flower in a garden

Various kinds of raspberries can be cultivated from hardiness zones 3 to 9. 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 m in fertile, well drained soil; raspberries are usually planted in raised beds/ridges, if there is any question about root rot problems.

The flowers can be a major nectar source for honeybees and other pollinators.

Raspberries are very 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. Using cuttings preserves the genotype of the parent, and is the preferred method of propagation when making large plantings.

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. Excess fruit can be made into raspberry jam or frozen.

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 wouldn't otherwise survive. In the tunnel plants are established at close spacing usually prior to tunnel construction.

Selected important cultivars

fruits of Rubus 'Wyoming', a purple raspberry cultivar

a young leaf of 'Glen Prosen', a red cultivar

'Schönemann'

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

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Red, midsummer

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Red, late summer

4

Red, primocane, fall, autumn fruiting

4

Gold/Yellow, primocane, fall, autumn fruiting

4

Purple

4

Black

4

Diseases and pests

Raspberries are sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths). 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 it provides 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.

See also

• Chambord Liqueur
• List of culinary fruits
• Raspberry ketone
• Raspberry juice
• Red raspberry leaf (herb)

Further reading

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

External links

• Raspberry at Wikibook Cookbooks
• The dictionary definition of raspberry at Wiktionary
• Media related to Raspberry at Wikimedia Commons
• Raspberries & More (University of Illinois Extension)