Black Raspberry

(Rubus occidentalis)

Other Names:

Wild black raspberry, black caps, black cap raspberry, thimbleberry, scotch cap, and various hybrids

Range:

Family:

Rosaceae – Rose family

Growth Type:

While the plant is perennial, the canes are biennial, meaning they die back at the end of the second year.

Height:

The plants send up thorny erect, bent, or trailing canes up to 7ft long.

Leaves:

The leaves on the first year canes of most species are compound and usually have 5 leaflets arranged palmately. There are typically 3 leaflets on the flowering branchlets. The leaves are usually pointed, with white undersides, and have toothed edges.

Stem/Trunk:

Thorny erect, bent, or trailing canes. The canes are biennial, meaning they die back at the end of the second year. The cane is unbranched in the first year, and do not produce flowers or fruit. In the second year they do not increase in length, but send out short branches that end in a flower cluster. The plant then sends up a new cane each subsequent third year.

Root:

Robust extensive root system. New plants will grow from root runners.

Flower Season:

Late spring through early summer

Flower Appearance:

The distinct flowers have long, slender sepals which are more than twice as long as the 5 petals.

Seed/Fruit:

The 1/2 inch berries are composed of numerous juicy spheres or droplets, each containing a single seed arranged around a white central core, or torus. They do not usually have as many droplets as the fruit of its close relative the blackberry. When picked, black raspberries come away from the plant leaving the torus in place, leaving a hollow berry just like red raspberries. This is a simply way to tell this plant from Blackberry Rubus L., which takes the torus with it when picked. Black raspberries contain a high content of anthocyanins and ellagic acid.

Miscellaneous characteristics:

The Rubus genus contains a myriad of species. This genus is specifically fond of hybridization, so you may find plants that have some or all of the characteristics listed here.

Black raspberries are high in the antioxidants anthocyanins. There is an ongoing small-scale clinical trial on patients with Barrett's esophagus.

The black raspberry is also closely related to the red raspberries Rubus idaeus and Rubus strigosus, sharing the distinctively white underside of the leaves and fruit that readily detaches from the carpel, but differing in the ripe fruit being black, and in the stems being more prickly. The black fruit makes them look like blackberries, though this is only superficial, with the taste being unique and not like either the red raspberry or the blackberry.

Habitat:

Dry or moist woods, fields, and roadsides.

Parts Used:

Leaves, berries

Culinary Uses:

Fruit - Fresh, jelly, pies
Leaves - Tea
Shoots: Trail nibble

Energetics:

Taste: Sour
Thermal: Cooling
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

This plant, just as all of those in the Rose family has wonderful astringent properties. Preparations of the root bark have been used to treat diarrhea and bleeding as well as to dry mucous discharges, and soothe the discomfort of varicosities and hemorrhoids.

Indicated Medicinal Uses:

Atherosclerosis, Endothelial Dysfunction, Hyperglycemia, Dysuria, Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, Male Climacteric Syndrome, Oxidative Stress.

Indications Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Clinical Trials:

Atherosclerosis (Common): An JH, Kim DL, Lee TB, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Kim NH, Kim HY, Choi DS, Kim SG. Effect of Rubus Occidentalis Extract on Metabolic Parameters in Subjects with Prediabetes: A Proof-of-concept, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Phytother Res. 2016 Oct;30(10):1634-1640. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5664. Epub 2016 Jun 9. PMID: 27279471.

Dysuria (Pain or discomfort when urinating): Jung SJ, Park EO, Chae SW, Lee SO, Kwon JW, You JH, Kim YG. Effects of Unripe Black Raspberry Extract Supplementation on Male Climacteric Syndrome and Voiding Dysfunction: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2023 Jul 26;15(15):3313. doi: 10.3390/nu15153313. PMID: 37571251; PMCID: PMC10421075.

Endothelial Dysfunction (Normalizes blood vessel function): Jeong HS, Kim S, Hong SJ, Choi SC, Choi JH, Kim JH, Park CY, Cho JY, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Joo HJ, Park JH, Yu CW, Lim DS. Black Raspberry Extract Increased Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Improved Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Food. 2016 Apr;19(4):346-52. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2015.3563. Epub 2016 Feb 18. PMID: 26891216.

Hyperglycemia (Lowers blood sugar levels): An JH, Kim DL, Lee TB, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Kim NH, Kim HY, Choi DS, Kim SG. Effect of Rubus Occidentalis Extract on Metabolic Parameters in Subjects with Prediabetes: A Proof-of-concept, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Phytother Res. 2016 Oct;30(10):1634-1640. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5664. Epub 2016 Jun 9. PMID: 27279471.

Hyperlipidemia (High cholesterol): Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Jeong JT, Joo HJ, Park JH, Ahn CM, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of black raspberry on lipid profiles and vascular endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Phytother Res. 2014 Oct;28(10):1492-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5154. Epub 2014 Apr 7. PMID: 24706588.

Hypertension (High blood pressure): Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Cho JY, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Joo HJ, Park JH, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of Rubus occidentalis extract on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrition. 2016 Apr;32(4):461-7. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2015.10.014. Epub 2015 Nov 6. PMID: 26740254.

Male Climacteric Syndrome (MCS): Jung SJ, Park EO, Chae SW, Lee SO, Kwon JW, You JH, Kim YG. Effects of Unripe Black Raspberry Extract Supplementation on Male Climacteric Syndrome and Voiding Dysfunction: A Pilot, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2023 Jul 26;15(15):3313. doi: 10.3390/nu15153313. PMID: 37571251; PMCID: PMC10421075.

Oxidative Stress (In buccal cells of smokers, reducing risk of oral cancer): Chen KM, Sun YW, Krebs NM, Reinhart L, Sun D, Liao J, Cook R, Bond PE, Mallery SR, El-Bayoumy K. The Effects of Black Raspberry as a Whole Food-Based Approach on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Buccal Cells and Urine of Smokers. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2024 Apr 2;17(4):157-167. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-23-0153. PMID: 38286439; PMCID: PMC10987264.

Medicinal Actions:

Antiarteriosclerotic, Antiatherosclerotic, Antidiarrheal, Antihypertensive, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Astringent, Hemostatic, Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic, Hypotensive

This plant has been shown, by scientific studies, to exhibit the following medicinal actions. The fact that studies concerning all of the traditional medicinal actions listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said actions are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the rise of allopathic medicine.

Clinical Trials:

Antiarteriosclerotis (Prevents hardening of the blood vessels: Jeong HS, Kim S, Hong SJ, Choi SC, Choi JH, Kim JH, Park CY, Cho JY, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Joo HJ, Park JH, Yu CW, Lim DS. Black Raspberry Extract Increased Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Improved Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Food. 2016 Apr;19(4):346-52. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2015.3563. Epub 2016 Feb 18. PMID: 26891216.

Antiatherosclerotic (Reduces or prevents arterial plaques): An JH, Kim DL, Lee TB, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Kim NH, Kim HY, Choi DS, Kim SG. Effect of Rubus Occidentalis Extract on Metabolic Parameters in Subjects with Prediabetes: A Proof-of-concept, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Phytother Res. 2016 Oct;30(10):1634-1640. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5664. Epub 2016 Jun 9. PMID: 27279471.

Antihypertensive (Lowers blood pressure): Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Cho JY, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Joo HJ, Park JH, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of Rubus occidentalis extract on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrition. 2016 Apr;32(4):461-7. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2015.10.014. Epub 2015 Nov 6. PMID: 26740254.

Anti-Inflammatory: Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Jeong JT, Joo HJ, Park JH, Ahn CM, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of black raspberry on lipid profiles and vascular endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Phytother Res. 2014 Oct;28(10):1492-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5154. Epub 2014 Apr 7. PMID: 24706588.

Antioxidant (in buccal cells of smokers redicing risk of oral cancer): Chen KM, Sun YW, Krebs NM, Reinhart L, Sun D, Liao J, Cook R, Bond PE, Mallery SR, El-Bayoumy K. The Effects of Black Raspberry as a Whole Food-Based Approach on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Buccal Cells and Urine of Smokers. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2024 Apr 2;17(4):157-167. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-23-0153. PMID: 38286439; PMCID: PMC10987264.

Hypoglycemic (Lowers blood sugar): An JH, Kim DL, Lee TB, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Kim NH, Kim HY, Choi DS, Kim SG. Effect of Rubus Occidentalis Extract on Metabolic Parameters in Subjects with Prediabetes: A Proof-of-concept, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Phytother Res. 2016 Oct;30(10):1634-1640. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5664. Epub 2016 Jun 9. PMID: 27279471.

Hypolipidemic (Lowers cholesterol): Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Jeong JT, Joo HJ, Park JH, Ahn CM, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of black raspberry on lipid profiles and vascular endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Phytother Res. 2014 Oct;28(10):1492-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5154. Epub 2014 Apr 7. PMID: 24706588.

Hypotensive (Lowers blood pressure): Jeong HS, Hong SJ, Cho JY, Lee TB, Kwon JW, Joo HJ, Park JH, Yu CW, Lim DS. Effects of Rubus occidentalis extract on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrition. 2016 Apr;32(4):461-7. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2015.10.014. Epub 2015 Nov 6. PMID: 26740254.