Arctic raspberry: Encyclopedia - Arctic raspberry

Arctic raspberry

The Arctic raspberry, Rubus arcticus, is a species of slow-growing bramble belonging to the rose family. Its dark red fruit is considered as a delicacy.

Arctic raspberry - Description

The arctic raspberry can grow up to two decimeters tall. It is spineless and the leaves have three fingers. The arctic raspberry flourishes in June-July with rose-red flowers which are alone, two by two or three by three. The flowers are either male or female, with both sexes eventually present in the same plant. The fruits are dark brown/red, very aromatic and maturation begins in August. The first description of this plant was published in Olof Rudbecks catalogus plantarum in 1658.

Arctic raspberry - Distribution

The arctic raspberry can be found mainly in northern landscapes of Alaska and Scandinavia. It grows most often in humid soils.

See also: cloudberry.

Arctic raspberry - Uses

The fruits of the arctic raspberry are very tasty and, among other uses, make jam and liqueur, or flavour tea. Carl von Linné considered the arctic raspberry - åkerbär in Swedish - a great delicacy in his Flora Lapponica (1737).

Arctic raspberry is the provincial plant of the Norrbotten province of northern Sweden.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Arctic raspberry", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki