Raspberries are delicious and very healthy fruits. You can discover both wild-growing and cultivated raspberries. Nothing could be more pleasing than picking the tempting red fruit off the bush yourself.
Yet, how do you identify raspberries? If you lack knowledge about the way that the plant looks, you could end up picking some potentially poisonous or harmful fruit. Identifying raspberry bushes is not that complicated.
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a perennial bush that has height of up to two meters. It was brought to Europe by crusaders who discovered the plant in the Holy Lands. According to historians, the plants were first grown on the territory of present-day Turkey. By the 18th century the fruit was already known in Europe, yet its cultivation started much later.
The stem is straight and covered in dark-red spikes. Spikes have protective function – they chase away the wild animals that otherwise feed on the raspberry fruit.
Numerous buds are located all over the stem. These buds produce tiny, white flowers that are usually blooming in clusters. The flowers at the top of the cluster bloom first, followed by the others.
Raspberry bushes bloom for a month. Once the blooming period is over, small and elongated fruits form.
The fruit itself is quite complex, consisting of many small fruits tightly pressed against each other. Each individual small fruit contains an edible, tiny seed. The fruit’s shape is semi-circular or cone-like. The raspberry fruit is usually red or very dark purple. Sometimes, you will find white and yellow raspberries in the wild.
The fruit has very strong and sweet scent. Its taste is slightly sour but once the fruit is fully ripe, it can become exceptionally sugary. It is usually covered in tiny and very fine hairs.
The leaves of the bush are pointed. Each leaf is toothed and could be slightly hairy. The leaves could have egg-shape or could be elongated.
One root will produce several sprouts. Each root has a series of horizontal branches. Each branch produces a new sprout in the spring. As a result, raspberries usually grow in large and densely-formed bushes.
Raspberries are rich in fiber and aid the functioning of the digestive system. Further, this tiny fruit is a vitamin bomb. Raspberries contain vitamin C and various antioxidants that prevent cell aging. About 200 grams of raspberries per day can provide the human body with its recommended daily amount of vitamin C. The fruits also contain potassium and magnesium.
Sources of information:
TheGardenHelper.com
GardenGuides.com
