Plants that start with R

Raspberries are the fruit of a very vigorous deciduous thorny bush related to blackberries, roses and strawberries. Raspberries can spread by sending out roots a long way under the ground that then sprout new plants. Raspberries can take over your backyard if you don't keep them pruned.
Raspberries can be eaten fresh, made into juice, or cooked into pies. Raspberries are very good for you.

Red valerian, also called Jupiter's beard, spur valerian or just valerian, is a pretty garden plant grown for its large spikes of pink flowers. It will tolerate drought, frost and highly alkaline soils - it can even grow in the cracks of a limestone wall. The whole plant is edible but is not particularly tasty.
It can be confused with true valerian, which is an unrelated plant with medicinal properties.

Reeds are tall, grassy plants found growing by waterways or in swamps.
Reeds can be used for weaving baskets, for making boats, and for thatching houses.

Rice is the largest crop grown for food in the world. Most rice is grown in China and India. Rice is a type of grass that grows to about a metre high. Rice needs a lot of water to grow, and in countries like Australia that have a low rainfall people are calling for rice growing to stop.
Rice is usually eaten cooked plain, but can be prepared in a lot of different ways and served with lots of different foods. Rice can even be puffed, a little like popcorn.

The roots of a plant are usually under the ground, holding the plant in place. The plant absorbs some food through its roots. The picture is of a tree where some of the dirt has washed away, so you can see its roots.

Rosemary is a woody evergreen herb that grows into a shrub up to about a metre and a half tall and much wider again. It can be clipped into a hedge or other topiary shapes. It has very strong smelling narrow leaves and purple flowers. It grows well in hot, dry conditions and most varieties tolerate heavy frosts. It does not like being overwatered.
Rosemary goes very well with lamb dishes, but can be used to flavor a variety of other foods too.

Rye is a cereal very closely related to wheat. It is grown mainly to make flour from to make into rye bread. It is also used as animal feed and to make some kinds of whiskey.