Summary ³

Rubus idaeus (raspberry, also called red raspberry or occasionally as European raspberry to distinguish it from other raspberries) is a red-fruited species of Rubus native to Europe and northern Asia and commonly cultivated in other temperate regions.

Description ⁴

Family:
Rosaceae (Rose)

Height:
3 to 4 feet

Habit:
Multiple-stemmed shrub; Thicket-forming, sprawling stems; Fast growth via rhizomes

Leaves:
Leaves are compound in alternately attached groupings of 3 to 5. Individual leaflets (up to 3½” long and 2¼” wide) are egg-shaped, with pleated surfaces, pointed tips, heart-shaped bases, toothed edges, and hairy undersides. Terminal leaflets are typically lobed, coming to 3 points.

Bark:
Cane-like stems are typically green, becoming greenish-red to raspberry red in color with age. Stems are densely covered in spiky, thorn-like bristles. Oldest bark becomes yellow-brown, shredding over time, typically at the base of the stem.

Flower:
White flowers grow in loose clusters of 3 to 8 from the leaf axils of the upper stems. Individual flowers (up to ½” across) have 5 petals which shed early in the season, revealing a dense cluster of white stamens and styles.

Fruit:
Fruit (up to ½” across) looks like a smaller version of a store-bought raspberry - cone-shaped, reddish-pink in color, and made up of many small drupelets.

Bloom time:
May-July

Fall color:
Reddish-brown to brown

Nicknames:
Wild Red Raspberry, American Red Raspberry, Common Red Raspberry

Habitat:
Red Raspberry grows in conditions ranging from partial shade to full sun, in soils that are somewhat moist to dry. This species tolerates many soil types, ranging from loam to clay or sand-dominant soils, and also does well in low pH (slightly acidic) soils. It is commonly found growing in open woodlands, meadows and fields, lakeshores and riverbanks, marsh edges, and roadsides. This species is a common component of maple, aspen, pine, and spruce communities across the upper Midwest.

Wildlife Benefits:
Fruits are a food source for gamebirds, songbirds, squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, black bears, chipmunks, skunks, opossums, foxes, and mice. Flowers are attractive to bees, wasps, and beetles. Thickets provide cover for a wide variety of wildlife.

Notes:
The fruit of this species, like many others in the Rubus genus, is edible.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/wild-red-raspberry
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects/plants/rd_raspberry.html
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rubus-idaeus/
https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rubida/all.html

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Erika Mitchell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Erika Mitchell
2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_idaeus
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

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