Hi all, I’d like to start a thread just for this particular variety. I recently acquired a plant. Or I think I did, but the flowers and leaves seem a bit too raspberry like. Curious what you guys think about phenomenal berry itself and if I’ve actually got the real deal.
6 Likes
The stem looks Tayberry like, so it’s likely some kind of hybrid, just not sure if Phenomenal Berry itself is supposed to look quite like this.
4 Likes
Phenomenal berry is a loganberry cross so the raspberry-like leaves and stems are expected. That said mislabelling is pretty common with hybrid berries, hard to tell definitively without fruit. Worth growing on to see what you get.
3 Likes
Unless you received your plant from Lance Mellon or someone that Lance sold them to or traded with.. I doubt you have Phenomenal..or as Lance spells it Phenominal.
Pictures from Lance
I wouldnt recommend this to anyone lower than Z7 or above due to winter damage.. and folks should be wary that it often gets rosette or witches broom.. so plan accordingly.
Flavor to me was much milder than Boysen and the ‘thornless logan’. Very attractive berry though due to the redness.
Unless that plant has been in cold storage it shouldnt be flowering now i dont think.
By the looks of it..might be an ever bearing black rasp?
If you want to try something different but akin to Phenomenal.. go for Olympic.. as its more hardy.. and more complex in flavor.
10 Likes
If you have a photograph of the thorns then I could probably tell you if it looks similar to the Phenomenals I’ve gotten from Lance. Thorns are dense, thinner, and more hair-like. A younger plant will sort of resemble a young raspberry, yes. You probably have flowers on your plant if it was a tip-rooted start established over winter and it happened to send out a lateral from the remainder of the parent cane after the fact. Seen boysens do it.
5 Likes
That looks a lot like mine. I guess now it’s a race between you and me who gets fruit first : )
3 Likes