Blackberry
Rubus spp.
Blackberries are among the easiest fruit for a Southern backyard. Modern cultivars, many bred in Arkansas, are thornless, stand upright or train on a simple trellis, and bear big, sweet berries in late spring and summer. Each cane lives two years: it grows the first year and fruits the second, except primocane types, which also fruit on new canes in late summer and fall.
Tree facts
- Scientific name
- Rubus spp.
- Origin
- Wild species across North America and Europe; most garden cultivars are US-bred hybrids
- Tree size
- Bramble; erect types are topped at about 3 ft, trailing types are tied to a trellis with wires at 2 and 5 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Sun
- Full sun; shade cuts the crop and invites disease
- Soil
- Well-drained soil. Test and adjust it a few months before planting.
- Soil pH
- 6.0–6.5
- Pollination
- Self-fertile; one plant is enough
- Cold hardiness
- Varies by cultivar. Late spring frost on open flowers is the usual cause of a lost crop.
- USDA zones
- Varies by cultivar
- Years to first fruit
- 1–2: floricane types fruit on second-year canes; primocane types can fruit the first fall
- Season
- May–Jul
- Water
- About every 4 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
- Feeding
- About every 120 days, Mar, Jul
- Pruning
- Jan–Feb
- Taste
- Sweet and tart, juicy, sweetest when fully ripe and slightly dull
- Nutrition
- High in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese
Is blackberry safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts
What you can eat
- Ripe berries, fresh or cooked
Toxic parts and cautions
- Take care: Thorny cultivars (Kiowa, Prime-Ark 45) and wild brambles have sharp prickles. Wear gloves and long sleeves when picking and pruning.
- Good to know: Berries mold fast in wet weather. Throw out any with gray fuzz and don't eat moldy fruit.
Pets: Ripe blackberries aren't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. A few are fine as a treat; thorny canes are the bigger hazard.
How to eat and enjoy blackberry
- Fresh by the handful
- Cobbler, pie and crisp
- Jam and jelly
- Smoothies and sauces
- Frozen for winter baking
When it's ripe
Berries turn black well before they're ripe. Wait until the shine fades to a slightly dull black and the berry comes off with a light tug. Each cane's crop lasts 2–3 weeks; pick every few days, in the cool of the morning and when dry.
Storing it
Refrigerate right away, unwashed, in a shallow container no more than 2–3 berries deep. Eat within a few days, or freeze on a tray and bag them.
Blackberry varieties (15)
Arapaho
An erect, thornless blackberry that ripens early.
Origin: University of Arkansas
Floricane-fruiting. Stands on its own with little support.
Caddo
An erect, thornless blackberry recommended for Southeastern gardens.
Origin: University of Arkansas
Floricane-fruiting.
Chester · also Chester Thornless
A semi-trailing, thornless blackberry that ripens late.
Origin: USDA and Southern Illinois University
Floricane-fruiting. Needs a trellis.
Hull · also Hull Thornless
An older semi-trailing, thornless blackberry still recommended for Southeastern gardens.
Origin: USDA and Southern Illinois University
Floricane-fruiting. Needs a trellis.
Kiowa
An erect, thorny blackberry known for very large berries and a long picking season.
Origin: University of Arkansas · Size: Very large
Floricane-fruiting. Thorny, so wear gloves.
Natchez
A semi-trailing, thornless blackberry with large, long berries.
Origin: University of Arkansas · Size: Large
Floricane-fruiting. Needs a trellis.
Osage
An erect, thornless blackberry prized for sweet flavor.
Origin: University of Arkansas · Taste: Sweet
Floricane-fruiting.
Ouachita
An erect, thornless blackberry, a dependable backyard standard across the South.
Origin: University of Arkansas
Floricane-fruiting.
Ponca
An erect, thornless blackberry bred for very sweet berries.
Origin: University of Arkansas · Taste: Very sweet
Floricane-fruiting.
Prime-Ark 45
An erect, thorny primocane blackberry that can bear a fall crop on new canes as well as a summer crop.
Origin: University of Arkansas
Primocane-fruiting. Fall crops are lighter in very hot summers.
Prime-Ark Freedom · also Freedom
The first thornless primocane blackberry, with large berries on both old and new canes.
Origin: University of Arkansas · Size: Large
Primocane-fruiting; can give two crops a year.
Prime-Ark Traveler · also Traveler
An erect, thornless primocane blackberry with firm berries.
Origin: University of Arkansas
Primocane-fruiting; can give two crops a year.
Sweetie Pie
A trailing, thornless blackberry.
Floricane-fruiting. Trailing canes must be tied to a trellis.
Triple Crown
A vigorous, semi-trailing, thornless blackberry, popular in home gardens for flavor and big yields.
Origin: USDA
Floricane-fruiting. Needs a trellis.
Von
A semi-trailing, thornless blackberry that ripens late.
Origin: North Carolina State University
Floricane-fruiting. Needs a trellis.
Pests and diseases to watch for
Scale insects
Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.
What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.
Mealybugs
White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.
What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.
Aphids
Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.
What to do: Spray off with water.
Sooty mold
Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.
What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.
Spider mites
Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.
What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.
Growing blackberries? Let Yardkin keep track.
Yardkin tells you when your blackberry needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.
Request accessGeneral guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.