Raspberry

Raspberry, Rubus ideas, is a hardy easy to grow perennial with delicious berries in summer I'm sure most of us know some yummy raspberry recipes. I have fond memories of my grandparents' raspberry patch in Geraldine while I was growing up.

The bees love the flowers. They are a bramble like blackberry and boysenberry so the flowers are edible too.

Now is the time for planting raspberry canes. We have had some much needed rain and they will love that in South Canterbury. Before someone says it, yes, raspberries can be invasive so you need to think about where you are happy to plant them.

The leaf of the raspberry is the medicinal part. It is associated with women during labour and postpartum and for morning sickness that extends into the second trimester. It is also indicated as an antidiarrhoeal and as a topical herb used for conjunctivitis and tonsilitis.

Raspberry leaf is considered such a safe herb that it is available from supermarkets as a tea. I would just say it is best to avoid taking it during your first trimester of pregnancy.