Raspberry Leaves – Colorado

Raspberry Leaves – Elk Mountains, Colorado

A summer ensemble of wild raspberry leaves and grasses flourishes on the high slopes of Colorado’s Elk Mountains. Growing over a wide elevation range, from the foothills to the subalpine, wild raspberries provide forage for animals and a treat for passing hikers. Raspberry leaves are also used in teas and contain the compound fragarine, which has been shown to be an effective muscle relaxant. This particular plant made its home in the Elk Mountains, a dense cluster of high and rugged peaks, including six of Colorado’s fifty four fourteeners. As one of the highest mountain ranges on the western slope, they ring out a lion’s share of Pacific moisture coming from the west. The Elks, unusually lush in an otherwise somewhat arid climate, are abundant with raspberries and other wild edibles.