Herb: Nepalese Raspberry


Latin name: Rubus nepalensis


Synonyms: Rubus barbatus, Rubus nutans, Rubus nutantiflorus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Nepalese Raspberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. A very well flavoured and reasonably sized raspberry with just a little sourness. It generally fruits well in the garden, though there are some forms that produce very little fruit, or poorly shaped fruits.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Rocks, banks and shrubberies to 3300 metres.

Other uses of Nepalese Raspberry:

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. An excellent ground-cover plant, forming a quite effective weed-suppressing mulch.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - requires stratification, is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as early as possible in the year in a cold frame and stratify for a month at 3°C if sowing later than February. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring. Very easy, the plants can be divided successfully at almost any time of the year. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation of Nepalese Raspberry:

Rocks, banks and shrubberies to 3300 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rubus nepalensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.