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Rubus occidentalis - L.

Black Raspberry

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Rubus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Eastern and Central N. America - New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Georgia and Missouri.
Habitat	Rich thickets, ravines and borders of woods[43], often in full shade[62] and preferring moist positions[159].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Black Hawk'
'Haut'
'Jewel'
'John Robertson'
'Lowden'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Stem.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc[2, 3, 34, 62, 85, 101, 183]. It is of variable quality, with the finest forms having a rich acid flavour[2]. The hemispherical fruit is about 15mm in diameter[200]. Young shoots - raw or cooked like rhubarb[101, 161, 183, 257]. They are harvested as they emerge through the soil in the spring, and whilst they are still tender, and then peeled[K]. A tea is made from the leaves and another from the bark of the root[161, 183], 257.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent; Cathartic; Ophthalmic; Pectoral; Salve; TB; VD.

The roots are cathartic[257]. A decoction of the roots has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[257]. The root has been chewed in the treatment of coughs and toothache[257]. An infusion of the roots has been used as a wash for sore eyes[257]. The root has been used, combined with Hypericum spp, to treat the first stages of consumption[257]. An infusion of the astringent root bark is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery[213, 222]. The leaves are highly astringent[257]. A decoction is used in the treatment of bowel complaints[257]. A tea made from the leaves is used as a wash for old and foul sores, ulcers and boils[222, 257]. A decoction of the roots, stems and leaves has been used in the treatment of whooping cough[257].

Other Uses

Dye.

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[168].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1, 11, 200]. Sometimes cultivated, especially in N. America, for its edible fruit[183], it is a parent of many named varieties[1, 34]. This species is a raspberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die[200]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200]. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[200].

Cultivars

''Allen

The large, attractive fruit is very sweet with a firm flesh[183]. It ripens in mid-season, with a lot of the crop coming ripe at the same time[183]. It is excellent for jam[183]. A good all-round cultivar, though it is not outstanding in any way[183]. A vigorous, productive bush, it is somewhat resistant to mildew[183].

'Black Hawk'

The large fruit is up to 2cm in diameter, it has a firm flesh with little or no tendency to crumble and a sweet to mildly acid flavour[183]. Ripening in mid-season, it is of excellent quality fresh, frozen or processed[183]. A vigorous, hardy bush that yields extremely well, it does not sucker (this probably means that it does not spread far from the original clump, it has to produce suckers each year in order to maintain itself[K]) and is somewhat resistant to anthracnose[183].

'Haut'

The medium-size fruit is very sweet with a firm, cohesive flesh, it is of excellent quality and ripens over a longer period than other cultivars of this species[183]. A vigorous, high-yielding plant, it is more productive than 'Bristol'[183]. It is disease-resistant[183].

'Jewel'

A large, attractive fruit, the flesh is firm and flavourful, of high quality and ripening in mid-season[183]. A vigorous and productive bush, it is winter hardy and is not susceptible to any serious disease, though is slightly susceptible to mildew[183]. It is considered to be an improvement over 'Bristol'[183].

'John Robertson'

A large, plump fruit with a medium firm flesh, it is juicy and of very good quality[183]. A productive bush, it is one of the hardiest cultivars of this species and crops reliably as far north as Canada[183].

'Lowden'

An extremely large fruit with a juicy, sweet flesh of excellent flavour[183]. It is of especially good quality for canning[183]. Ripens late[183]. An upright, quite vigorous, productive, very winter-hardy plant, it is resistant to anthracnose[183].

'Plum Farmer'

A large fruit with a firm flesh of high quality, it ripens very quickly and the entire crop can be harvested in 2 - 3 pickings[183]. The bush is hardier than most cultivars of this species, it is drought resistant, immune to curl virus but susceptible to anthracnose[183].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Woodland Garden Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[101] Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. 0
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Rubus occidentalis

Pauline McCabe Mon Jul 18 10:33:40 2005

The following appeared in 'Cancerdecisions.com' newsletter. 'In May, 2005, scientists at Louisiana State University showed that black raspberries contain antiangiogenic compounds that are capable of restraining tumor growth. Antiangiogenic compounds work by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels, without which tumors cannot expand. The Baton Rouge researchers discovered that berries contain a "highly potent antiangiogenic fraction that accounts for only one percent of the fresh weight of whole black raspberries." The scientists consider it natural and potent enough to use clinically as a "promising complementary cancer therapy" '

Link: cancer decisions

Rubus occidentalis

VPJ Hood Wed Dec 6 2006

LSU Congrats----you are onto another American Indian medicine. P.S. they didn't test it on rats or dogs because humans don't have any of the identical parts as a rat or dog .How many animals do you plan to torture? how much $$$$$$$$ from grants from taxpayers???? Sincerely VPJ Hood.

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