# Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) **Rubus idaeus*; Raspbis, Hindberry, Bramble of Mount Ida; Greek *Batos Idaia*, Latin *Rubus Idaea*; Danish *Hindebar*, Dutch *Braamboss*, Saxon *Hindbeer*; Gerard’s Raspis* **Known today as.** The leaves of the raspberry, *Rubus idaeus*: a shrub with erect, biennial stems from creeping perennial roots, native to many parts of Europe and wild in parts of Britain, flowering in May and June. Kind: Plant > **Caution.** Raspberry leaf acts on the muscle of the uterus in laboratory studies, and its authors warn that finding no harm in their small study “should not be taken as evidence that raspberry leaf is safe.” In pregnancy it should be taken only with the knowledge of the midwife or doctor. ## What was it used for? Astringent and stimulant, Grieve says. The leaf tea, an ounce of dried leaves to a pint of boiling water, was a gargle for sore mouths and canker of the throat and a wash for wounds and ulcers; with powdered slippery elm bark the leaves made a poultice for wounds, burns and scalds. Taken cold, the infusion was “a reliable remedy for extreme laxity of the bowels,” and it served in the stomach complaints of children. Above all “Raspberry Leaf Tea is valuable during parturition. It should be taken freely, warm.” ## What does modern science say? The one large trial, in Sydney, gave 192 first-time mothers raspberry leaf tablets (two of 1.2 g a day) or a placebo from the 32nd week of pregnancy: there were no adverse effects for mother or baby, and, contrary to popular belief, the first stage of labour was not shortened; the second stage was shorter by about ten minutes on average and forceps were used less often (19.3 against 30.4 per cent). A 2021 review of thirteen studies found that the leaf acts on smooth muscle, the uterus included, in the laboratory, that animals given high doses into the vein or the abdomen showed toxicity, and that the human studies have shown neither harm nor benefit; the evidence for its use in pregnancy is weak. In an Australian cohort of 561 pregnant women, 37 per cent took raspberry leaf, most often to make labour easier, and in a smaller prospective study of 91 women those who took it had their labours medically augmented less often, a result the authors say cannot be generalised. ## What lore surrounds it? “’Twas only to hear the yorling sing, / And pu’ the crawflower round the spring, / The scarlet hep and the hindberrie, / And the nut that hang frae the hazel tree,” runs the verse Grieve quotes for the old name. The raspberry grows wild as far north as latitude 70 degrees. ## What did the older authorities say? **Dioscorides, as Grieve records.** Associated it with Mount Ida in Asia Minor, where it appears to have been abundant; the Greeks called it *Batos Idaia*, the bramble of Ida, and Linnaeus kept the classical name in *Rubus idaeus*. **John Gerard.** Calls it Raspis or Hindberry, the second name coming from the Saxon *Hindbeer*. ## Sources - Grieve, M. *A Modern Herbal*, “Raspberry.” As published on botanical.com. - Simpson, M., Parsons, M., Greenwood, J., and Wade, K. (2001). “Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor.” *Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health* 46: 51–59. doi:10.1016/s1526-9523(01)00095-2. - Bowman, R., Taylor, J., Muggleton, S., and Davis, D. (2021). “Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review.” *BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies* 21: 56. doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03230-4. - Bowman, R. L., Taylor, J., and Davis, D. L. (2024). “Raspberry leaf (*Rubus idaeus*) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study.” *BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies* 24: 169. doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04465-7. - Bowman, R. L., Davis, D. L., and Taylor, J. (2026). “Beyond prescription medicine in pregnancy: raspberry leaf and other herbs in Australia.” *BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies* 26. doi:10.1186/s12906-025-05229-7. --- *Raspberry leaf.* In *Materia Medica*, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1, revised 2026-10-10. The Thinking Press. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/raspberry-leaf Historical description, not medical advice.