Red Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
- Plant Type
- Subshrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Shrub
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- April, May
- Sociability
- S4 – Large patches
Pollinator Value
- 🔑 Keystone
- Rubus is a keystone genus supporting 157 species of butterflies and moths as a caterpillar host plant in the ecoregion. As a thicket-forming shrub it also provides dense nesting cover and fruit for birds and mammals, making it a cornerstone of early-successional wildlife habitat.
S13 157 lepidoptera; S61 colonizes open sites after logging or fire; S57 fruit consumed by birds
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Habrosyne scripta, Scopula limboundata, Pyrrharctia isabella, Synchlora aerata, Hyles lineata, Xanthotype sospeta, Acronicta funeralis, Paonias excaecatus, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma
- 🐝 Specialist Bee Host
- Andrena melanochroa
S17 Rosaceae specialist on Fragaria, Potentilla, Rubus; range CT-GA-MA-MD-ME-NC-NH-NJ-NY-VA-WV
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Canes persist through winter providing structural cover. American Robin consumes the fruit (21.1% diet occurrence). Dried fruits may persist on second-year canes into early winter, though primary fruit availability is summer.
S57 American Robin 21.1% diet; S11 Fruit/Seed Persistence=Yes
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure (N5) in Canada. Ranked S5 in Ontario. Not ranked in Quebec (SNR). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Widespread and common across boreal and temperate North America.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Red raspberry is one of the most common colonizers of open sites following logging, fire, or other disturbance across the mixed wood shield. It thrives on forest edges, clearings, roadsides, and thickets, forming dense suckering patches via underground runners. In the Ottawa Valley it occurs abundantly in anthropogenic and semi-natural habitats.
S61 colonizes open sites after logging/fire; S7 open or partially shaded ground, abundant; S29 hedgerows and woodland edges
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [HIGH]: S11 Fire Resistant = Yes (definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 152 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 7-2, pp. 116, 149)]
- Notes
- In permaculture design, raspberry functions as a shrub-layer wildlife habitat plant and barrier/fortress element due to its thorny canes. Its suckering habit provides erosion control on slopes but may require management to prevent excessive spread. Best used in hedgerow or woodland edge guilds where its colonizing tendency is an asset rather than a liability.
S29 erosion control, food forest; S72 wildlife habitat role; S73 fortress/barrier, fire retardant
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Astringent, Antidiarrheal, Birthing Aid, Dermatological Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid, Gynecological Aid, Urinary Aid
S28 Cherokee Analgesic, Algonquin Antidiarrheal, Cherokee Dermatological Aid, Cherokee Gastrointestinal Aid, Cherokee/Cree Gynecological Aid, Algonquin Urinary Aid; S29 anti-inflammatory, astringent, birthing aid
- Notes
- Extensively used in Indigenous medicine across North America. Algonquin of Quebec used root for diarrhea. Cherokee used leaf infusion for childbirth pains, root for cough and toothache, and decoction for bowel complaints. Cree used stem and root decoction for post-childbirth recovery and to slow menstrual bleeding. Leaf tea is a well-documented uterine tonic used in late pregnancy and childbirth. Externally, leaves used as gargle for tonsillitis and as poultice for sores, burns, and varicose ulcers.
S28 41 medicinal uses across many nations; S29 PFAF Medicinal Rating 3/5
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten
- Foraging Notes
- Fruit eaten raw or cooked in pies, preserves, jams, jellies, juice, wine, and vinegar. Young shoots peeled and eaten raw or cooked like asparagus. Root cooked (requires extensive boiling). Leaves dried for herb tea. Widely consumed fresh and commercially, with many cultivars developed from the wild species.
S29 fruit, root, shoots, stem, tea, coffee; S6 fruit eaten raw, used for jam, jelly, juice, wine, vinegar; S28 13 food uses across multiple Indigenous nations
- Toxicity
-
△ Low Toxicity
USDA rates toxicity as slight. PFAF reports no known hazards. Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. The slight toxicity rating likely refers to the prickles causing mechanical skin irritation rather than chemical toxicity. Fruit, leaves (as tea), and young shoots are widely consumed without adverse effects.
S11 Toxicity=Slight; S29 Known Hazards=None known; S38 not listed in Cornell
Seed Source
- OWSL