Raspberries Vs. Wild Raspberries: What's The Difference?

You're trudging through the underbrush on a hike when you decide to take a break. As you power up with some trail mix, you spot something small and pink growing beside you. It looks vaguely like a raspberry but also different enough that you're unsure. Well, if you're hiking in many regions of Canada, the United States, or countries in the Northern Hemisphere more broadly, odds are that you did find a raspberry bush. The reason that you're so unsure about the berry's variety is because wild raspberries (the ones on trails) and cultivated raspberries (the kind at Whole Foods stores) look and taste different. 

You may not think about it much when you're at the supermarket picking up a container for a tray of easy raspberry bars, but those plump, pink berries that we love so much haven't always looked that way. It was only through human intervention and specific cultivation that raspberries took on the shape and size that we're familiar with. Though the two plants are both from the genus Rubus, there are many different species, which can vary in size, shape, flavor, and color. In general, wild raspberries are much smaller in size, mildly sweet, and filled with more seeds than fruit. Cultivated raspberries usually have a sweeter taste, juicier texture, and larger size. 

Once cultivated raspberries have been harvested, they stay fresh for longer than wild raspberries — expect foraged wild raspberries to last about two days at most. This is particularly noteworthy since even when store-bought berries are stored correctly, they tend to grow mold after only a short while.

Where cultivated raspberry plants live a proverbial life of luxury — with care from farmers and gardeners, regular watering, and ideal fertilization — wild raspberry plants have evolved to protect themselves without any help. Raspberries are a sweet temptation to many foraging forest animals, and without the protection of humans, the wild plant has adapted to a harsher growing environment. A wild raspberry plant is usually taller than its cultivated counterpart. The height, along with abundant thorns, is a  mechanism to protect itself from predators. It has also adapted to survive periods of low rainfall by developing a deeper root system. The plant grows fewer berries in general and has a shorter harvesting window than a cultivated raspberry. Wild raspberry enthusiasts argue that even though the fruit is smaller and harder to gather, it still offers a rich, complex flavor.

Appearance-wise, cultivated raspberry bushes don't have nearly as many thorns (or predators). They also have a shorter, more upright position since they're routinely pruned and diligently cared for. The next time you bite into a raspberry from the grocery store, you'll have a new appreciation for the wild ones that brave the elements versus the cultivated ones that live the good life.