🍎 Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
fruits perennial cane fruit
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
consistent moisture; mulch to retain; avoid wet feet
🗺️ Zones
3–9
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained loam, high organic matter
🧪 Soil pH
5.5–6.5 (slightly acidic)
📏 Spacing
18-24 in. apart, 8-10 ft between rows (red); 24-36 in. for black/purple
📅 Days to Maturity
1-2 years (from planting); summer-bearing fruit on second-year canes, everbearing in fall of first year
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Garlic / Chives / Onions
Repel Japanese beetles and aphids; antifungal properties reduce cane blight and spur blight
Attracts ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies that prey on aphids; accumulates phosphorus and potassium
Repels raspberry cane borer, Japanese beetles, and ants; plant at row ends
Potassium-rich mulch supports heavy fruiting; attracts pollinators; suppresses grass encroachment
Nematode suppression in root zone; repels aphids and raspberry beetles
Sacrificial trap crop for aphids; attracts beneficial hoverflies; edible flowers add garden diversity
🤝 Clover (red)
Fixes nitrogen; living mulch suppresses weeds between rows; attracts pollinators
🤝 Turnip / Radish
Repel harlequin bugs and cucumber beetles; brassica trap crop diverts pests from canes
⚠️ Keep Apart (5)
⚠️ Blackberry / other Rubus species
Shared pest and disease reservoir — virus transmission risk (raspberry mosaic virus); cross-pollination issues for some varieties
⚠️ Potatoes / Tomatoes / Eggplant
Verticillium wilt shared host; blight transmission; same fungal pathogen reservoir
Shared susceptibility to verticillium wilt and root rot; competition for similar soil niche
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone sensitivity — moderate toxicity can stunt or kill raspberry canes
Potato and raspberry are incompatible — competing nutrients, shared disease risks, or allelopathic interference.
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains ellagic acid, anthocyanins, and raspberry ketones with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in vitamin C and fiber. Traditional European remedy for sore throat, fever, and as a blood purifier. Leaves (especially red raspberry) used historically for women's reproductive health: pregnancy tonic, menstrual regulation, and labor preparation. Astringent for diarrhea.