Characteristics of the Raspberry

Appearance and Fruit Quality

• Raspberry leaves grow in groups of three or five and have silvery-white undersides. Flowers are white to pale pink with five petals. Fruit flavor is intense -- sweet yet slightly sharp. Raspberries are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and antioxidants. Fruits are composed of multiple segments, each containing a seed. When ripe, the fruit loosens itself from the core and pulls away easily. Picked raspberries are therefore hollow. Raspberries cross-fertilize readily with blackberries. This hybridization has produced boysenberries, loganberries and youngberries.

Uses

• Raspberries are good eaten with ice cream or as a component of other desserts. Because of their robust flavor, raspberries mix well with other, blander fruits -- for example, raspberry and apple pie is a tangy alternative to plain apple pie. Raspberries are traditionally used in English trifle -- a layered dessert where the raspberries' intense tang contrasts well with the blander layers of jello, custard and whipped cream. Raspberries freeze well. They are also excellent for canning, jams, jellies and conserves. Unless sieved before putting in jars, raspberry jams are full of small seeds. Raspberry leaf tea is allegedly useful for constipation and morning sickness in pregnancy.

Growing Requirements

• Raspberries are shallow-rooted and enjoy cool, damp climates. In dry periods or warmer climates, they require irrigation, but must never be waterlogged. Raspberries require a sunny, well-drained site with loamy soil. This should be rich in organic matter. They appreciate a layer of mulch to retain moisture and keep down weeds. They are "greedy" feeders, requiring fertilizer each spring. Raspberries are susceptible to viruses carried by tomatoes, egg plants, peppers, potatoes and strawberries. They should not be planted in ground that has recently grown these plants.

Growth Habits

• Raspberries canes grow to 4 to 7 feet, depending on variety. They grow best in rows, with 8 feet of clear space between rows. Producing new canes annually, raspberries fruit in summer on the previous year's canes. New canes are green. Second-year fruiting canes have brown bark. They die off after fruiting. Raspberries spread vigorously, throwing up shoots from horizontal underground stems. This means some canes appear beyond the row and become invasive. These suckers need digging up -- without the ventilation and light provided by a clear corridor between rows, raspberries are prone to disease. New plants can be propagated from the suckers.

Varieties

• Red raspberries are the traditional and most common variety. However, yellow, black and purple varieties are also available. The black and purple varieties are less frost-hardy and more tolerant of heat. They are better suited to the southern U.S. Everbearing raspberries fruit twice annually. They bear a fall crop on the young canes after the summer crop on the two-year canes.