Information on Raspberry Plants

History

• Raspberries are first mentioned in writings in the 4th century and were found native in Asia Minor and North America. It is believed that the Romans are responsible for further dispersing and planting of raspberry plants, as the seeds have been found in Roman military forts.

  Raspberries have not always been used as food. Their uses also include medicine and paint for artwork. Considered a delicacy, raspberries were only for the wealthy during the Middle Ages.

  Raspberry plants were discovered in North America during the exploration by the English. Native Americans dried the berries for easy travel. Settlers blended the native berries with the seeds brought from England to create many of the hybrid plants grown today.

Varieties

• Red and black raspberries are the most common types of berries and are often naturalized. Red raspberries have a sweet flavor and fewer seeds than other varieties. Black raspberries, also referred to as black-cap raspberries, are plump and seedy with a sweet taste.

  Depending on the region, raspberries such as the purple and purple flowering raspberry plants may be found. These berries are a hybrid of the red and black raspberries and produce a plump berry that is tarter than its parents. A rare raspberry plant is the golden, or yellow, raspberry.

  Wild raspberry plants are found in the woods and come in black and red varieties. The smaller berry size is used to identify wild berries over traditional red or black raspberries.

  Plants are ever-bearing and standard. Ever-bearing plants produce two or more times in the season, while standard-bearing plants produce once within the season.

Growing Raspberries

• Raspberry plants require a sunny spot of land and fertilized soil. Preferably planted in rows, the plants should be 1.5 to 3 feet apart to allow for adequate growth. Once planted, they need to be watered thoroughly to ensure root development. Fertilizer should be used no more than twice a season to produce plump berries. Mulching the area also helps maintain the moisture needed for plump berries. Be sure to prune the bushes occasionally to allow for adequate air flow--a key to avoiding destructive fungus--after the fruit-bearing season.

Troubleshooting

• Four main illnesses are associated with raspberry plants: blight, powdery mildew, orange rust, and cane and crown gall.

  Blight, the most common illness to a raspberry plant, causes the plant to wilt and die. The berries, if any, become discolored and uneatable. Blight occurs when the raspberry plants have been planted near where tomato, among other, plants are or were in the past five years.

  A whitish-gray powdery mildew may appear on the leaves, branches and fruit stunting the plant and berry growth causing the berries to wither and die. The powdery mildew may be resolved by planting other plants that attack the mildew, or chemically.

  Orange rust occurs only on black raspberry plants. An orange substance that stains as rust does grows under the plant's leaves. The plant to never blooms and will not produce any berries.

  Cane and crown gall stunts the growth of the plant and produces lumplike balls on the branches of the plant, causing the plant to be brittle and the berries to be dry and seedy.

Uses

• Raspberry bushes and berries have been used as status symbols, paint for artwork, and, most popularly, for consumption. In the wild these plants are a source of food for animals, a safety barrier against predators and a shaded home for some.