Raspberry

The raspberry is a shrub with upright stems measuring 100 to 200 cm in height, covered in small thorns. The stems are biennial, meaning they typically live for two years before being replaced by new shoots.

The new shoots bear between 5 and 7 small secondary leaves, called leaflets, whereas the floriferous branches (those bearing flowers) have only three. The leaflets are rough and toothed, green on the upper surface and whitish underneath.

The flowers grow at the tips of the stems and are arranged in a loose cluster. They have white petals that are shorter than the sepals, the small green structures that protect the flower bud.

The fruit, the raspberry, is made up of small, sweet red drupelets. Each drupelet contains a seed whose colour varies with maturity, ranging from light brown to dark brown and sometimes slightly yellowish.