Whilst red raspberries are thought to originate in Asia Minor, there are Roman records dating back to the 4th century AD. It is natural to assume that the Romans initially spread the cultivation of raspberries throughout Europe however it was the English who cultivated, hybridized and improved them throughout the middle ages and subsequently exported the plants to the US by the late 1700's.

The Black raspberry is indigenous only to North America, where it is most abundant in the east. Domestic cultivation seemed to have been delayed until the 1800s due to the popularity of red raspberries which were classed as a luxury up until that time.

Some cultures consider the raspberry as a love-inducing fruit. More commonly raspberry is used during pregnancy in tea or other vehicles for combating the nausea and vomiting that accompany morning sickness.