(16 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)
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Wild Raspberry
Edible 
Autumn 
Summer
While wandering around woodland in Summer or early Autumn you can find very large, dense stands of Wild Raspberries in clearings, covered in fruit, this is where I can be found at the right time of year while there is light in the sky.
| Hedgerow Type | |
| Common Names | Wild Raspberry, Hindberry, Raspis, |
| Scientific Name | Rubus idaeus |
| Season Start | Jun |
| Season End | Sep |
Leaves
It has compound leaves with five to seven serrated leaflets that are thinner than Blackberry leaves.
Flowers
A small, white, five petalled flower appearing from June to August. The flowers only keep their petals for about a day. I had been waiting for this flower to open for days, before I could take a second picture the wind blew off two of the petals.
Fruit
The fruit appears from Summer to Autumn and is ripe when it easily pulls away from the core.
Stem
In its first year the raspberry grows as a vertical cane with leaves but from the second year on this cane can produce many branches with leaves and flowers.
The stem has tiny red thorns but they are small and soft.
Habitat
Mixed woodland, clearings and roadsides.
Possible Confusion
Once the fruit is ripe it is difficult to confuse the raspberry with anything other than an unripe blackberry.
Taste
The berries are one of my favourite foods, so I say excellent : )
Frequency
More common than people think.
Collecting
The berries are ripe when they pull away from the core and from there generally go straight into my mouth.
Younger leaves are used to make herbal teas, older wilted leaves can contain small amounts of cyanide.
Medicinal Uses
Raspberry leaf tea can be used to alliviate diarrhea, stomach problems and colds and has also been used to ease the discomfort of menstral cramp.
4 comments for Wild Raspberry
I have a large patch of very tall wild raspberies in my garden which is on the edge of woodland. The soil is heavy clay but they are growing on a south facing slope. They appeared by themselves but produced nothing in their first year (last year). Should I have pruned them last autumn or prune them now? They look very strong and reach 6 feet tall!
I would leave them alone as they should produce berries this year but pruning them can produce more branches so more berries but pruning them usually stops them fruiting for a year.
I am working at the University of Exeter on plant-infecting fungi. To find new control strategies and preserve harvested fruits, I am looking for guaranteed untreated raspberries (maybe from a garden) for controlled infection assays in my laboratory. I will need fresh berries about 5-6 times over the upcoming summer. I am happy to pay for this, as long as the fruits are untreated.
Please get in contact at
[email protected]
Thank you!
Prof. Sarah Gurr
Hi Sarah, I’m afraid we don’t sell any plants or mushrooms, we teach people about them.