**Plant Description**: Raspberry is a thorny shrub that grows to about 1-1.5 meters in height. It produces red fruits and white fl owers during June and July. It is commonly found in mountainous regions in forests and groves.
**Growing Regions**: Raspberry is widespread in Europe and Northern Anatolia.
**History**: Archaeological fi ndings indicate that raspberries have been collected and consumed since prehistoric times.
**Usage**: The leaves are harvested when the plant is in bloom and dried in the shade. The fruits can be used as food, and their essence can be extracted by squeezing.
**Components**: The leaves contain tannins, organic acids, vitamin C, while the fruits contain pectin, iron sugars, and vitamin C.
**Medical Eff ects**: Raspberries are known to stimulate appetite, provide strength, act as a diuretic, and, due to tannins and pectin, can also cause constipation. To benefi t from these eff ects, a tea can be made by boiling 50 grams of dried raspberry leaves in 1 liter of water, and it can be consumed three times a day in one-cup servings. Raspberry leaves can also be used as a gargle in oral and throat diseases due to the antimicrobial properties of tannins. For gargling, 80 grams of dried leaves and fl owers are boiled in 1 liter of water. Due to its antimicrobial properties, this solution can also be used as a poultice for minor eye infl ammations. Raspberry leaf tea is traditionally consumed to ease the fi nal stages of pregnancy and reduce bleeding during childbirth. It is also consumed to prevent miscarriages. Raspberry fruits have a dissolving eff ect on harmful deposits on teeth called tartar.
**Raspberry Cultivation**:
Because raspberry is native to our country, it is in an extremely suitable position for raspberry cultivation. Although it has formed a neglected branch of agriculture until recent years, today, it has gained importance in large enterprises, family businesses, and as intercropping. In addition to fresh consumption, raspberry is also becoming a candidate fruit species for an important branch of agriculture in our country with industrial consumption forms such as fruit juice, ice cream, pastry, and deep freeze.
Raspberry seedlings are easy to produce and have low costs. There are no grafting problems that require rootstock and technical information. Pruning practices can also be easily learned and applied to raspberry plants. Despite its roots being perennial, the special character of raspberry plants is that their stems are 2 years old and renewed every year. Another superior feature is that they start bearing fruit shortly after planting.
Raspberry is important for human health. Since the sugar structure of raspberries is of the fructose type, it can be consumed by diabetics. The fruits are benefi cial for rheumatic patients, and their juice is also useful for colds and febrile illnesses. The syrup obtained from the fruits is used in pharmacy technology to give taste and aroma to medicines. The fruit is rich in organic acids, sugars, and vitamin C. It is used fresh a sanappe tite stimulant diuretic
