Backyard
Berry Plants
Specializing in Organically Grown Blueberry, Blackberry, and Red Raspberry Plants
Raspberry & Blackberry Plants
Index to Brambles:
Potted brambles start shipping
June through Ocotober
Fall Raspberry Plants
Black and
Purple
Raspberry Plants
Blackberry Plants
Summer
Red Raspberry Plants
Our farm trials over the past years have shown some new raspberry and blackberry cultivars to be very tasty and productive, and we've added those NEW ones to our 2009 listing. We will continue to monitor them and add any updates to their descriptions.
All of our brambles come with a color flagging tape, which is consistent year to year. The cipher for the color coding is at the end of this page, and you may click here to go to it now.
If you want to read about the differences between summer and fall bearing raspberries, click HERE to go to the bottom of this page. I will discuss primocanes and floricanes, and hopefully make clear what they do in the life of a raspberry plant.
All Raspberry Plants $12 each
Autumn Britten Fall Red Raspberry
stock very low
Autumn Britten is one of the earliest fall bearing raspberry
varieties. Britten’s berries turn red in mid-July,
right on the heels of the summer bearing raspberries. Large, sweet
fruit are firm yet juicy, and
the canes are upright and vigorous.
This is our primary variety for farm production, as it makes large
berries that come ripe earlier in the season.
Half of the fall crop will ripen over a
month, with the remaining half coming ripe from August through
October. Autumn Britten is disease resistant and should have a low
trellis, for though the canes are sturdy, they bow under the weight
of the berries.
Hardiness zones 3a-9
Patent cultivar
Caroline Fall Red Raspberry
Caroline has large berries that are the sweetest red raspberries
I
have ever tasted. When ripe, the berries are velvety soft and
deep red. Best for fresh eating, I find them okay for
freezing, but cultivars with more firm berries do better. This is a vigorous
grower, second only to Autumn Britten in
its ability to jump up and start growing in spring. The canes
will need to be supported due to their height (5') and fruit load, so a good
trellis or support is important. The fruit begins to ripen
just after Autumn Britten, which will usually be late July to early
August here in
Brown County, Indiana.
Hardiness zones 4-9
Patent cultivar
Autumn Bliss Fall Red Raspberry
new for 2009
Autumn Bliss (released in 1984) was the first fall red raspberry
cultivar I planted when we decided to get into raspberry production.
More productive cultivars have come along since then, but Autumn
Bliss has shown a strong annual consistency and resistance to
foul weather and heat. The fruit is excellent, very sweet,
with firm berries excellent for fresh eating or freezing.
Canes grow to about 4.5 to 5 feet tall, and I usually trellis them
to keep fruit up off of the ground. Large berries, nice red
color and a conic shape. Flavor is perhaps a bit better than
Autumn Britten, though Britten is slightly more productive and
uniform (they are sister cultivars from the same breeding program in
East Malling, England). Of all the raspberries we grow, Bliss
has been the constant favorite of my wife. Ripens before
Caroline and Autumn Britten (some overlap).
Hardiness zones 3a to 11.
Jaclyn Fall Red Raspberry
new for 2009
sold out for 2009 season
Jaclyn is another success of the the quad-state breeding
cooperative between Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
This lady was trialed on our farm in 2008 (along with Joan J), and
it was a very nice surprise. The canes are moderately spiny,
nothing to hurt your hands, though. The fruit is very
difficult to detach (due to a deep, pointed receptacle) until the
berry is ripe and ready to eat, and then it just comes right off.
The color goes from bright red to a purplish red when ripe, and the
fruit is very sweet and juicy with moderate firmness (similar to
Autumn Bliss). The ripe berries are very sweet and firm.
My daughters particularly like this raspberry, due to its color and
texture.
The berry shape is nice and unique, a fat conic much like a beehive
hairdo, and the color was a new one to see in fall bearing
raspberries (at least for me). Along with the other "sister"
Joan J, Jaclyn ripened earlier than other cultivars I have growing
on the farm, including Autumn Britten. Cane height is to 5
feet, fairly sturdy and vigorous, but still in need of staking or
trellis to hold up the beautiful, heavy fruit.
Hardiness zone 3a to 8b.
Joan J Fall Red Raspberry
new for 2009
Joan J is the second of two new "sisters" to join our farm's
raspberry production gardens. The most noticeable aspect of
Joan J is that the canes are quite thorn-free. Along with
Jaclyn it is now one of the earliest fall bearing red raspberries on
our farm. I was quite impressed with its 2008 trial here at
our farm. It had strong canes, excellent production of deep
red, firm berries that were sweet and very large. Good
suckering with very few spindly shoots. There didn't seem to
be a peak production time, but we were able to pick from them by
mid-July through frost in late October. While the canes were
strong, I would still recommend a stake or trellis support due to
fruit load when it ripens. The berries were very good, with
good farm market response (who is picky about raspberries?). They were also the
best for holding up to freezing, holding their shape better than
others when thawed. My daughters had no problem
demolishing them in the taste test.
Their only concern was if
there were more.
Hardiness zone 3b to 8. Patent cultivar
Himbo Top Fall Red Raspberry
new for 2009
Himbo Top is a new Swiss cultivar that has Autumn Bliss as one of
the parents. Berries are a bright, shiny red, large sized with
a rich, sweet flavor. Sturdy canes reach to 5 feet tall, but
do need trellising or staked in order to support the fruit load.
Berries have a conic shape and are firm yet juicy. The berry
color of Himbo also remains bright through ripening, with darkening
only taking place when the berry is overripe. While I have not
observed raspberry root rot on our farm (caused by Phytophthora
fragariae var rubi), breeders have observed that Himbo remains
unaffected by this fungus when it is present in the soil.
Himbo Top begins to ripen about a week after Autumn Bliss, and
has continued to produce until frost here at our farm.
Hardiness zone 4 to 8. Patent cultivar.
Anne Fall Golden Raspberry
Anne is a golden yellow, fall
raspberry that I have started to increase here on our farm. It
is the last of the fall raspberries to ripen, beginning in August
here in Brown County, Indiana. It is not a heavy producer, and
although it is hardy to zone 3, I would advise it as an experimental
planting in zones 3-4a, due to its very late ripening time.
I
believe Anne would produce well from zones 4b-9.
My daughters love its flavor, which is distinct from the red
raspberries. It is mildly sweet, yet has an elusive, tropical
fruitiness as you chew it up. The berries are large and glowing
golden-yellow, and are produced on the ends of the canes. Like all
of our fall raspberries, we have seen no bird predation on Anne.
Moderately strong canes do best with support when fruit begins to
ripen.
Hardiness zones 4a-12
Patent cultivar
Jewell Black Raspberry
sold out for 2009
This is the Rambling Lady of our farm, naturalizing wherever I
try to keep her in an orderly way. I have probably had to
destroy more of these than any other plant on our farm, as they take
aggressive advantage of my easy going nature in berry growing (they
are no match for the bush hog). Unless you possess a
totalitarian nature, plan on your Jewells becoming a tangle, and
plant them in an appropriate location (a little bit away from your
house). Birds love these, and they ripen a little before (but
then extend past) the wild black raspberry season. Jewell is
about twice to three times the size of wild black raspberries, with
every bit of their flavor and rambunctiousness (they are not,
however, as mean and thorny as the wild blackberries). It is
pure heaven on earth to put a handful of these jet black berries in
your mouth. These are the first of the brambles to ripen, so
they take on a very heraldic nature here on our farm.
Hardiness zones 4b-8
Royalty Purple Raspberry
sold out for 2009
This raspberry is a very
prolific bearer of VERY large, dusky purple raspberries. Royalty is a blend of red raspberry vigor
and black raspberry habit, with the best flavors of its parents. Royalty ripens in early summer, just after
black raspberries. Royalty grows like a black raspberry or
blackberry, from a crown, relying on cane tip-rooting for
propagation. Royalty does not spread vigorously via
underground runners like summer red raspberries
do, and it will usually produce a quarter more fruit per cane
than summer red raspberries.
Hardiness zones 4-8
BACK TO TOP
Blackberry Plants
All Blackberry Plants $15 each
Apache Blackberry
stock getting low
The Apache blackberry was released in 1999 by the University of
Arkansas (a center of dedicated blackberry breeding). It has
an erect, strong form at maturity, but I have noticed the young
canes on 1 and 2 year old plants to be a bit trailing. It has nice, medium-large berries
that get very sweet when fully ripe. Like all blackberries,
best flavor of fruit occurs when it is a dull black. Apache
has performed well for us, making up half of our
blackberry plantings. Apache is resistant to cane anthracnose,
and I have not observed any foliage disease upon it since it has
been growing here (first planted in 2000). Apache is thorn-free and the fruit comes ripe in
July-August here in Brown County, Indiana.
Hardiness zones 5-9
Patent cultivar
Ouachita Blackberry
new for 2009
stock getting low
Ouachita is the latest release from the University of
Arkansas’ blackberry breeding program (2006), and the latest addition to
our farm's ongoing quest for excellent blackberry cultivars. Ouachita,
pronounced WAH-shi-tah, is a very upright growing,
vigorous, thornless blackberry. It should be tipped when canes get
to 48” tall, to make it sturdier and more productive. However,
trellising or staking may be needed to keep a full crop from leaning
towards the ground. Fruit quality is excellent. Berries are firm,
sweet and about the same size as Apache. Fruit matures beginning in
late June to early July here in Brown County, Indiana, depending upon the
spring weather. Yields seem a little better than Apache, but less
than Triple Crown.
Breeders and researchers have observed that Ouachita appears to be
resistant to double blossom as well as orange rust infections.
I have not observed these problems on our farm. Space 4 feet apart in the row.
Hardiness zones 5 to 10
Triple Crown Blackberry
This blackberry was released in 1998
by the USDA breeding program in Beltsville, MD. Triple Crown
has been an excellent blackberry, and was the only blackberry
cultivar to produce some fruit after the 2007 April Freeze (even the
wild blackberries were fruitless that year). Triple Crown is a
trailing blackberry, which means you have some options on how you
would like to manage it. I have one area that has just become
a tangle of canes (12'x12' roughly) and it produces a copious amount
of fruit. I hack the canes out when they are done fruiting,
while trying to keep the new canes from rooting and expanding this
fruit monster. I also have a trellised area, where I can prune
easily, and keep the canes tied up and neat. My neighbors have
one that they train along their porches privacy lattice, allowing
them to pluck berries as they relax in the shade cast by the canes.
One plant has produced a good 22# of fruit, the berries being medium
to large sized (better pruning gives consistently larger berries)
with sweet flavor. Triple Crown is also
thorn-free, and ripens a bit after Apache has started
producing. It also has a longer harvest period than Apache.
Hardiness
zones 5-10
Summer Red Raspberry Plants
Prelude Summer Red Raspberry
sold out for 2009
Prelude was first released in 1998, having been bred by Cornell
University at the NYSAES in Geneva, NY. Prelude has
consistently been the first red raspberry to ripen here on our farm,
with over half the crop harvested before the end of June.
Prelude has a medium to large berry, with a slightly conical shape
and firm structure (the berries handle well and do not mash or
deform when picked). The color is lighter red than most
cultivars, and the flavor is excellent. Cool springs tend to
induce a more spritely (read "tart") flavor, but this is seen in all
summer red raspberry cultivars. The canes of Prelude have
sparse spines, and the fruit is held well up for easy picking.
Prelude will also, in most years, produce a light fall crop of
berries on its primocanes (just like fall bearing raspberry plants).
This cultivar suckers freely, so make sure to keep rows or clumps
thinned to the strongest canes. Prelude reaches 4-5 feet tall.
Hardiness Zone 4-8 (Patented)
Nova Summer Red Raspberry
new for 2009
Nova was bred in Nova Scotia (1981), and is one of the more northerly hardy cultivars of red raspberry that I have come across. Very strong growing canes with medium to large fruit that is bright red and firm. Berry flavor is superb. Nova is very dependable and productive, and tolerates the up and down spring weather here better than any other cultivar. Yields are the most consistent of any of the summer red raspberry cultivars I have grown, and even in bad years I can count on Nova (except really bad, bad years, like April 2007, which took almost all of our spring blooming fruit crops). The canes of Nova seem to have the smallest spines of the three summer cultivars I sell. Like Prelude, Nova will produce a very light fall crop (on the primocanes) if growth has been good and the fall doesn't cool down too quickly. Nova is strong and vigorous, and suckers less than Prelude. Hardiness zone is 3 to 8.
Lauren Summer Red Raspberry
sold out for 2009
Lauren is a new release from the cooperative breeding programs of
Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Wisconsin. The berries are very
large, bright red, and are the sweetest of all the summer cultivars
I have tried. It also has the longest fruiting season (4
weeks) of any summer red raspberry I have grown. Berry shape
is long conic with good firmness, and it tastes pretty good even
when picked a little under-ripe (at the light red stage).
Lauren does not sucker very heavily at all, so it spreads much less
rapidly than Nova or Prelude. This might be considered an
attribute for home growers, as the plant won't overcrowd its space
or other plants nearly as fast as other summer raspberry cultivars.
I have been very impressed with this cultivar (which is patented),
and will be expanding our plantings of Lauren here on our farm.
Lauren comes ripe after Prelude and overlaps Nova.
Hardiness zone is 5 to 8. (Patented)
What are primocanes and floricanes?
I have found these terms to be quite confusing to many people,
but a quick explanation of what they refer to usually clears it up.
I like to remember their definitions by the word structure:
"Primo" means first or one, "flor" means flower, and "canes" mean
just that. So we have "first-canes" and "flower-canes" when
translated to English.
Primocanes ("first-canes") are the canes that grow up from the root
crown beginning in spring. They are the youngest canes on a
bramble at any time. All of the fall-bearing raspberries bear
the majority of their fruit on their primocanes (the technical name
for fall-bearing raspberries and other fall-bearing brambles is "primocane
fruiting" raspberries).
Floricanes ("flower-canes") are canes on a bramble that have
undergone one season of growth and dormancy. These are the
canes that overwinter and flower in the springtime, producing their
fruit in the early to mid-summer. Floricanes must go
through a period of winter chilling and dormancy (in our temperate
climates), and typically die away after fruiting of that cane has
finished (at which point the immaculate gardener swoops in and
prunes it away). The floricane is just a primocane that has gone
through winter (just imagine it as graduating to the next grade).
The summer bearing raspberries bear all or most of their fruit on
their floricanes (the technical name for summer raspberries and most
blackberries is "floricane producing" brambles). Usually, to
increase yields one will tip the primocanes of floricane-producing
raspberries and blackberries, as this initiates branching and the
formation of more lateral branches for flowering in the following
spring. Some summer red raspberries (floricane-producing) do
produce fruit on their primocanes, but it is usually a very small
yield and only seen in the warmer zones of their hardiness range.
It also goes to show that living things rarely like to stay in the
nice little groups we'd like them to remain.
Summer Raspberries
Preluede.....green
Nova.....yellow with orange dots
Lauren........red
Royalty purple.....orange
Jewell black.....white
Fall raspberries
Polana....white with green dots
Joan J.....orange and white stripe
Jaclyn...........purple
Autumn Britten....red and white stripe
Autumn Bliss....blue and white stripe
Himbo Top......white with blue dot
Caroline................pink
Anne golden....yellow and white stripe
Blackberries
Triple Crown....black and white stripe
Ouachita......red with black dots
Apache....blue and black checker
Points about our different raspberry plants for your backyard.....
Raspberries need very little fertilizer, and often thrive in poorer soils in which it would be difficult to grow garden vegetables. The most important aspect for successful bramble production is good drainage. If you dig a hole, and fill it with water, it should drain away in a few hours. If it is still full after 24 hours, you can still plant there, but only in a raised bed or ridge.
All of the fall red raspberries we sell have done great here on our farm, earning us both money and loads of home-made jam. Joan J and Jaclyn are the earliest, while Autumn Britten and Autumn Bliss have been the most consistent producers over the past 5 years. Caroline has the sweetest berries, but is later in the season and definitely requires a good trellis system.
The Jewel black raspberry is an excellent berry for naturalizing, especially given that it occurs natively across much of the East and Midwest.
Blackberries are the most durable and hardy of the brambles, growing well on poorer soils, withstanding drought, heat, and other stresses. On our farm, I reserve the worst slopes for blackberry brambles. As long as the soil is not boggy or poorly drained, they thrive.
Here in southern Indiana, blackberries are a common, weedy plant of
pastures and meadows, and produce berries that range from kerosene
to sweet flavored. And, they are thorny, with the tall grass
and weeds holding chiggers, as well. Thorn-less, sweet
blackberries are quite a treat to pick, with the only scratching
being that of your head, as you wonder why you didn't plant these
low-care brambles earlier.
If you have overpopulated deer in your area, you may have to protect
blackberries and other brambles from browsing damage.
Ripening order for red raspberry cultivars as observed on our
farm
(these are estimated times, and temperature trends in spring can
move forward or push back dates by as much as two weeks some years
here in southern Zone 5):
Prelude: early June
Lauren: mid June
Nova: late June
Joan J: mid July to frost
Jaclyn: mid July to frost
Polana: mid July to late Aug.
Autumn Britten: mid July to frost
Autumn Bliss: early Aug to frost
Himbo Top: early Aug to early Oct
Caroline: early Aug to frost
Heritage: mid Aug to frost