How to Identify Wild Raspberry Plants

Wild raspberry plants are very different from their cultivated counterparts. This may make their identification a little more difficult if you're only familiar with cultivated raspberry plants and their fruit. Wild raspberries can be found in a variety of colors including white, yellow, red, purple and black. As long as they haven't been sprayed with herbicide, the berries are perfectly safe to eat and contain vitamin C and potassium.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look for the cane of the plant. Raspberries grow on canes that bend over and root into the ground, sprouting a new plant. Black raspberry canes are purple; the canes of red raspberries are a lighter, cinnamon color.

2. Look at the leaves and flowers. The leaves of the wild raspberry plant are pointed and toothed along the sides. They may be hairy on the top. Look at the flowers. This plant blooms in late spring. If the plant is in bloom, it will have small white flowers.

3. Identify the fruit. A raspberry is small and round, made of many smaller drupelets. Tiny hairs will be present over the surface of the fruit. The color may vary drastically depending on the plant, but the drupelets are a good giveaway.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're hunting for raspberry plants in the forest, make a lot of noise as you go. This will help frighten away any nearby bears who may be there for the same purpose.

Resources

• Wild Raspberries: USDA Nutrition Facts