Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
Botanical family: Rosaceae
Rubus idaeus, native to Europe's mountain forests. Non-everbearing varieties (Malling Promise, June-July) or everbearing (Heritage, Polka, Sumo, spread harvest June to October). Rich in vitamin C, ellagitannins (antioxidant polyphenols). Dried leaves in a traditional infusion (reputed a uterine tonic, avoid in early pregnancy).
Sun to partial shade
Rich, cool, acid
Regular, likes coolness, water in summer
Very hardy (~-25 °C; many varieties down to -30 °C)
Overwinters in your zone
Self-fertile
One plant is enough for a crop
Role in permaculture
The shrub layer of a forest garden. Suckering, to be contained by a buried edging. Fruit on second-year canes for non-everbearing types; on the year's shoots for everbearing. A refuge for hoverflies and ladybirds, very nectar-bearing flowers.
Good companions
Attract pollinators and beneficial insects
Harbour beneficial insects (insectary plant)
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Poor companions
Hosts of the same soil-borne disease: don't plant one after the other
Insects attracted or useful
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
Summer and autumn raspberries: June to October.
Available: June, July, August, September, October.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Raspberries » (rhs.org.uk/fruit/raspberries/grow-your-own)
- Plants For A Future, « Rubus idaeus » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rubus+idaeus)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
The leaves have traditional uses separate from the fruit; do not confuse them.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find raspberry in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Infusions & herbal teas
Family behaviour: Rosaceae
In general, Rosaceae are traditionally paired with garlic (reputed antifungal, an in-vitro effect against Venturia inaequalis but little demonstrated in the field), tansy and comfrey. This is the fruit family (strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach). Tansy is the emblematic companion of the apple tree guild.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Pliny the Elder (ancient Rome), reporting a Greek usage · Mediterranean / Mount Ida (Troad, north-western Anatolia, or Crete, uncertain)
Describing the brambles, Pliny notes a third species that the Greeks call 'idaeus' after its place of growth, Mount Ida: more tender than the other brambles, with smaller thorns. He mentions some uses of it: the flower mixed with honey applied against inflammations of the eyes. The etymology he gives is strictly geographical, the name comes from the place, not from a divine tale. It is this Latin mention (rubus Idaeus) that provided Linnaeus with the species epithet.
Pline l'Ancien, Histoire naturelle, livre XVI, 180 (texte latin : « tertium genus Idaeum vocant Graeci a loco, tenerius quam cetera minoribusque spinis »). Usage médicinal repris au livre XXIV.
Pliny does NOT link the raspberry to a nymph Ida nor to the childhood of Zeus/Jupiter, he gives only an etymology of PLACE (the plant grows on Mount Ida). The pretty tale of the nymph Ida wiping the tears of the infant Jupiter, pricking herself on a thorn and reddening with her blood the until-then white raspberries, is NOT ancient: it was composed in the 20th century by the French physician Henri Leclerc (Les Fruits de France, 1920s), then copied everywhere as if it were Greek. It's a modern reconstruction. Botanical nuance: it is not known which Mount Ida is meant (the one in the Troad in present-day Turkey, where the Greeks knew the plant well, or the one in Crete); both bear the name.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: rich, cool, acid.
- • Classic companion: Garlic.
- • Keep away from: Nightshades (Verticillium wilt).