Thats why i have collected every thorny one that has been offered for sale.
I think i will have the only known repository of thorny blackberries… which nobody wants…or cares about anymore.
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I’m looing for the same info in my climate
One publication indicates those varieties were tested in NC but I have not been able to get the results.
I was told it was too soon to draw any conclusions for my climate. When I asked about first impressions I did not get a response I planted 2 of each last year in the spring. My local extension person gave them to me but did not know much about them. All plants are growing well. I got just a few fruits but not enough too see when they ripened they tasted. Should have some good information by next July.
EDIT Lots of info on soluble solids and acid content on a bunch of varieties in article. Also some ripening information on how Eclipse compared to other popular varieties in Oregon where it seems to ripen with Von.
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I am going to add Tayberry next spring… and possibly a Columbia Sunrise & Star… just to see how that goes.
I would love to have Silvan and Obsidian to try out here. If you ever get some of those and can propagate them … keep me in mind. I will be glad to trade something or purchase.
Loganberries do so well here, I bet some of those other trailing varieties would too.
I should have Silvan next fall if everything goes right. Also should have Phenomenal berry which is kind of like Boysenberry…(Burbank tried to outdo the Boysenberry).
I have a private blackberry plant going now… its 2-3X vigor of triple crown… i got to try 4 berries and they were the best blackberries i think ive ever had…big and sweet with a smidgen of tart. Its thornless and semi-erect but does not act like a semi-erect… it will not stand up on its own at all. Canes grow out of control and the laterals grow even faster. It should fruit before July and go all the way until almost frost. You could space these at 8 feet and have a full hedge…its a fantastic plant. I will go more into the history etc once it fruits and i can get some good pics. Its not from the US. I wouldnt mind sending a couple of plants to hobbyists that live in different climates. I know it does good here and NY…but other than that nobody knows. It will take a very good trellis and lots and lots of tying and lots of tipping… No issues at all on health…leaves are beautiful and canes are thick. None of this sounds right because we dont have anything like this here… not sure if people will like it or hate it because of the maintenance.
From the same source i have a fantastic purple raspberry and some thorned blackberries and 2 red raspberries. Nothing like anything ive seen on vigor. He gave me a strawberry plant as well that is insane. Its an everbearing and only puts out a few runners so i dont know how we are going to propagate it. The leaves are bigger than all of my others and the berries are super good even though this is their first year.
I have a black raspberry and two yellows from him also…but they are babies and i wont know about them until next year.
Here is some advice abt columbia star… it has had root issues in humid places…
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Wow…
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In snowy climates you can go beyond the zone recommendation with trailing varieties. It never gets that cold under snow cover but you have to cover them late fall before it gets too cold. I was able to winter Tayberry at my z4 location but lost 90% of the Black Pearl (relative of Marion) canes. The lowers took too long to start flowering but they did make it.
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Here is the paper for Obsidian… looks to be pretty cold hardy. Its not patented.
As far as i can tell and ive tried…its unobtainable…but i can try to get a tray of them ordered… would have to sell the ones i dont use.
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@krismoriah … sell me a couple please… if you can get them. I would love to give them a try here.
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I guess my emailing worked…they are available to buy now…
I am going to send you a PM so that you get them first…they only have a few in stock. After you order you can post here where to buy them.
thats insane fruiting!
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im z4 as well and we get alot of snow. im trailing 3 semierect and trailing z5 blackberries. triple crown, chester and columbian giant. ill cover them with heavy synthetic blankets then a tarp at the beginning of November. they should do fine that way under the snow.
That’s pretty much what I have as well. Last year I put used lots of hay and covered them with a tarp. Now I’m adding a frost cloth for the more sensitive plants.
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Just got off work and checked here…
Thanks @krismoriah
Got me a couple ordered… from One Green World.
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I have a few plants going from a friend in Vermont. They are 3B/4A and these things grow to be monsters. Anyways they have been in the same location for 50-60 years and always flower and fruit… and there has been some nasty winters in there. Could be a seedling or something that the previous owner picked up in his travels.
They are thorny dont know if thats your thing…but need no help in the cold. Big berries as well.
Im also trying Lawton. It is supposedly very cold hardy as well. Big berries on it too. It started out being called Seacor’s Mammoth. History is believed to be from a seedling of the French Hugenots from the late 1600s… Has inch long berries.
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i have Nelsons from fedco. they survived -40f above the snow last winter. berries are small 1in. but very productive. have huge thorny canes. if i can get berries on thornless, id prefer it. they draw blood every time i pick or mow by them. their armament is impressive!
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Siskiyou Blackberry-
I have asked everyone on social media in my groups… i have talked to the plant propagators…and also the vendors that sell the plants… likely it wont be coming back.
It is not patented… yet the people that do have it are afraid of propagating it… or just dont want to.
If you have this plant please send me a PM if you can send me some plants to grow here. I will propagate them in the future for people that cannot find them by any other means.
Otherwise i think this plant is lost to backyard growers…
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Now that I have a couple of Obsidian blackberry plants on the way… I went back and re-read a very detailed document from HortScience/Chad Finn - Looks like it dates back to 2005 or so.
Several popular varieties are compared from that time, including Marion, Silvan… and the previous most popular early season blackberry Siskiyou.
Note on the ripening dates… that is in Oregon… so for me they will be about a month earlier than the dates from Oregon. Should start ripening for me end of May… and thru June… and be done before SWD get bad here.
No great details on cold hardiness… but they did compare it to Marion and it was unharmed when Marion suffered winter injury.
Going to get out today and prep a place for planting Obsidian…
Beautiful sunny, cool fall day here.
@krismoriah – looks like around 2005 Obsidian and possibly other (very early) varieties may have bumped Siskiyou out of popularity. Prior to that it was very popular as the “early variety”… but that evidently did not last.
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