Herb: Japanese Raspberry


Latin name: Rubus parvifolius


Synonyms: Rubus triphyllus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Japanese Raspberry:

The leaves and the root are astringent. A decoction of the leaves or the root is used in the treatment of skin diseases and as a stimulant to blood circulation.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Roadsides and waste ground in lowlands and low mountains in Japan. Mainly found in wet sclerophyll forests in eastern Australia.

Edible parts of Japanese Raspberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc. Juicy. A good flavour. The fruit is small, though the individual druplets are quite large. The young plant is used as a substitute for tea.

Other uses of the herb:

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. The stems and roots are a source of tannin.

Propagation of Japanese Raspberry:

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°C and is best sown as early as possible in the year. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Roadsides and waste ground in lowlands and low mountains in Japan. Mainly found in wet sclerophyll forests in eastern Australia.

Known hazards of Rubus parvifolius:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.