Raspberry

The raspberry (Rubus idaeus), also referred to as red raspberry or occasionally as European raspberry to distinguish it from other raspberries, is a red-fruited species of Rubus. This particular plant species has its origins in Europe and northern Asia, but nowadays the fruit is being extensively produced in other temperate regions.

In North America, the variety Rubus idaeus var. strigosus, is usually regarded as a distinct species, namely the Rubus strigosus (American Red Raspberry). However, red-fruited cultivated raspberries, even those from North America, usually derive from Rubus idaeus or horticultural derivatives of hybrids of R. idaeus and R. strigosus.

The fruit of the raspberry plant is red, tasty and sweet but tart-flavoured. Raspberries are a seasonal fruit and produced in summer or early autumn. Botanically speaking, the raspberry is not a berry, but an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core.