Raspberry Zeva Herfsternte B - Rubus idaeus

The Zeva Organic Raspberry Bush (also known as Zefa Herbsternte), from Organic Agriculture, is an old and productive perennial variety. The plant has short and mostly thornless stems and does not need to be trained. It produces large, shiny dark red fruits of excellent taste in abundance and over a long period. It bears fruit in June, and then from August to October, until the first frosts. The raspberry bush, scientifically known as Rubus idaeus, should be planted from October to March in well-prepared, loose and enriched garden soil without excessive lime, which stays moist in summer.

To fully enjoy their flavour, raspberries should be eaten soon after picking, as they do not keep for very long. If you have a plentiful harvest, consider making coulis, sorbets, ice creams, tarts, or jams. You can also freeze them. Production reaches its normal level in the third year after planting. One plant can bear fruit for around 10 years. There are everbearing varieties, which produce from June to October, and non-everbearing varieties, which have a bountiful harvest in June - July.

The Raspberry Bush is a deciduous shrub with upright stems, forming a bush about 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions over time. The stems or canes are biennial, each one dying after fruiting. Every year, new canes with small prickles emerge from their roots. In this Zeva variety, the canes are almost thornless. The Raspberry Bush has leaves which are green on top, white-green and hairy on the underside. The flowering is very attractive to bees. The small white flowers (1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in) in diameter), are grouped in clusters of 10 to 12 from April to August-September. The fruits consist of small clustered drupes that are easy to detach when ripe.

The Raspberry Bush belongs to the Rosaceae family, like strawberries, blackberries, and wild roses. The wild raspberry is native to Europe and temperate Asia, where it grows in cool climates alongside elderberry, beech, or mountain ash, especially in mountain undergrowth, but also in plains.