{ "id": "epwh3cp6ve", "slug": "blackberry-epwh3cp6ve", "title": "Blackberry", "updated": "2026-10-21", "topic_path": [ { "id": "life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life" }, { "id": "life.plants", "label": "Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.plants" }, { "id": "life.plants.cultivars", "label": "Cultivars and cultivated forms", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.plants.cultivars" }, { "id": "life.plants.cultivars.fruit-cultivars", "label": "Fruit cultivars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.plants.cultivars.fruit-cultivars" }, { "id": "life.plants.cultivars.berry-vine-cultivars", "label": "Berry, vine, and other temperate fruit cultivars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.plants.cultivars.berry-vine-cultivars" }, { "id": "life.plants.cultivars.berry-vine-cultivars.bramble-cultivars", "label": "Bramble and Rubus cultivars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.plants.cultivars.berry-vine-cultivars.bramble-cultivars" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.nodate.life.plants", "label": "United States · Not dated: Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.nodate.life.plants", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.nodate", "label": "United States · Not dated", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.nodate" }, { "id": "geo.us.nodate.life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.nodate.life" }, { "id": "geo.us.nodate.life.plants", "label": "Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.nodate.life.plants" } ] }, { "id": "geo.weu.nodate.life.plants", "label": "Western Europe · Not dated: Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.nodate.life.plants", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.nodate", "label": "Western Europe · Not dated", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.nodate" }, { "id": "geo.weu.nodate.life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.nodate.life" }, { "id": "geo.weu.nodate.life.plants", "label": "Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.nodate.life.plants" } ] }, { "id": "geo.latam.nodate.life.plants", "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · Not dated: Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.nodate.life.plants", "path": [ { "id": "geo.latam", "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam" }, { "id": "geo.latam.nodate", "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · Not dated", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.nodate" }, { "id": "geo.latam.nodate.life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.nodate.life" }, { "id": "geo.latam.nodate.life.plants", "label": "Plants and algae", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.nodate.life.plants" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus): solid-core aggregate bramble fruit, unlike hollow raspberries. Over 400 cultivars; Mexico leads production (250,000 MT forecast 2025); invasive weed in Australia.", "snippet": "Blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus): solid-core aggregate bramble fruit, unlike hollow raspberries. Over 400 cultivars; Mexico leads production (250,000 MT forecast 2025); invasive weed in Australia.", "node": "life.plants.cultivars.berry-vine-cultivars.bramble-cultivars", "markdown": "# Blackberry\n\nA blackberry is the edible aggregate fruit of shrubs in *Rubus* subgenus *Rubus* (family Rosaceae), picked with its receptacle attached so the fruit is solid at the center, unlike the hollow raspberry. The commercial crop spans erect, semi-erect, and trailing types, over 400 named cultivars, and a global planted area that has shifted decisively toward Mexico's fresh-market industry.\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Botanical structure | An aggregate of small drupelets, each from one fertilized ovary; 35–45 days from fertilization to maturity[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2) |\n| Raspberry distinction | Blackberries keep the receptacle (torus) in the picked fruit; raspberries detach from it, leaving a hollow, thimble-shaped berry[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2) • [2](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Rubus.pdf) |\n| Cultivar types | Of the cultivar-reported world area in a 2005 survey, 50% was semi-erect, 25% erect, and 25% trailing[3](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml) |\n| Breeding scale | More than 400 cultivars named; public breeding programs have run for over 100 years[4](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=279405) |\n| Leading producer | Mexico, which the USDA forecast would produce 250,000 metric tons in 2025, up 3% from an estimated 243,000 MT in 2024[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf) |\n| Typical yields | About 18 MT/ha reported for Mexican growers[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf); Arkansas fresh-market trials averaged 20,000–25,000 kg/ha[6](https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/9/article-p1632.xml) |\n| Health-relevant compounds | High in dietary fiber, vitamins C and K, manganese, anthocyanins, flavonols, and ellagitannins[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2) • [7](https://pubs.acs.org/jafcau/article/60/23/5716/1642208/The-Blackberry-Fruit-A-Review-on-Its-Composition) |\n\n## What a blackberry is\n\nBlackberries belong to *Rubus* L. subgenus *Rubus* Watson, a group of deciduous shrubs with biennial canes arising from a perennial root system. The fruit is an aggregate: each of the many small drupelets develops from a separate fertilized ovary and contains a single seed. From fertilized ovary to mature fruit takes 35–45 days[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2).\n\n**The solid core.** The defining difference from the raspberry lies in the receptacle, the torus, the tissue beneath the drupelets. At maturity a raspberry detaches from the receptacle, which stays on the plant, so the picked fruit is hollow and thimble-like and its core is not eaten. A blackberry's drupelets adhere to the receptacle, which is picked with the fruit and eaten as the core[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2) • [2](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Rubus.pdf) • [8](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1300/J065v04n01_02). Most *Rubus* species are native to the cool, temperate regions of the [Northern Hemisphere](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-hemisphere)[2](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Rubus.pdf).\n\n## From wild bramble to cultivated crop\n\nBlackberry improvement began with wild selections. In the late nineteenth century the self-taught plant breeder [Luther Burbank](https://www.edgepedia.org/luther-burbank) worked in his experimental garden in [Santa Rosa, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-rosa-california), to cultivate new, prolific varieties of sharp-thorned brambles, aiming to supply the era's growing middle class with fresh fruit[9](https://magazine.wsu.edu/web-extra/bullying-blackberries/). European and North American programs then drove crop development over the past century, and public breeding has continued for more than 100 years, producing over 400 named cultivars[4](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=279405) • [10](https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780646688.0063).\n\nTwo traits reshaped the crop. Thornlessness became more common in recent introductions, and primocane fruiting was incorporated, expanding production options[4](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=279405). Until recently, molecular methods contributed little: research using them was limited and did not contribute substantially to cultivar improvement, which rested on classical crossing and selection[4](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=279405). Breeding targets now include thornlessness, primocane fruiting, chilling requirement, disease resistance, heat and cold tolerance, yield, and genomic analysis[10](https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780646688.0063).\n\n## Types, growth habits, and major cultivars\n\nBlackberries are classified by cane architecture into three types[11](https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/horticulture/attachments/ah27_strik_et_al_blackberry_prod_systems_946341-347_2012.pdf):\n\n- **Trailing**: canes grow very near ground level and are trellised[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf).\n- **Semi-erect**: canes grow upward and then horizontal, and are trellised[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf).\n- **Erect**: canes grow upward 4 feet or more; these produce new canes from buds on the crown or on roots, unlike the other types[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf) • [11](https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/horticulture/attachments/ah27_strik_et_al_blackberry_prod_systems_946341-347_2012.pdf).\n\nTrailing types have soft, long, thin canes that require trellising, and trellising is recommended even for erect types to ease weeding, mulching, and harvesting[13](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1352). Erect types tend to have square-like stems while trailing types are more round[14](https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/AgCircs/id/43628/download).\n\n**Flagship cultivars.** In the 2005 survey, 'Marion' accounted for 51% of the worldwide area of trailing types, with more than 90% of its area in Oregon[3](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml). The survey reported that, in Oregon, 'Chester Thornless' and similar semi-erect cultivars were grown primarily for the late-season fresh market, at an average yield of 30 Mg·ha⁻¹[3](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml). In the survey, 'Loch Ness' accounted for 75% of the blackberry area in Hungary and was the main cultivar in Germany and Romania[3](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml).\n\nThe [University of Arkansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-arkansas) program, for which blackberries are the leading crop, has emphasized flavor and sweetness, firmness, thornlessness, primocane fruiting, and dwarfism, and its genetics are used worldwide[15](https://aaes.uada.edu/fruit-breeding/blackberries/). 'Ouachita' is the eleventh release in its series of erect-growing, floricane-fruiting cultivars and the fourth thornless erect one; it ripens between 'Arapaho' and 'Navaho', produces larger fruit than both, and yields as high as or higher than them and 'Apache'[16](https://www.growables.org/information/documents2/BlackberryHortS2.pdf). 'Caddo' is the fourteenth release in the same series, ripening mid-early season near 'Osage' and slightly before 'Ouachita', with berries larger than either and excellent postharvest quality for the shipping market[6](https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/9/article-p1632.xml). 'Sweet-Ark Ponca', released in 2019, is the sweetest cultivar the program has released to date[15](https://aaes.uada.edu/fruit-breeding/blackberries/).\n\n## Primocane fruiting and the production calendar\n\nBlackberry plants are perennial with biennial canes. Primocanes are first-year canes that may fruit; floricanes are second-year canes that always fruit if they survive the winter[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf). Most *Rubus* plants are floricane-fruiting: they initiate floral buds toward autumn of the first year, but the buds do not develop into fruit until spring or summer of the following year. Annual-fruiting (primocane) cultivars instead initiate flowers in late spring and fruit the same year[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2).\n\nThe first commercial primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivars were released by the University of Arkansas in 2004[17](https://uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/horticulture/commercial-fruit-production/blackberries-production.aspx). These bear fruit on primocanes in late summer and again on floricanes the following early summer[13](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1352), can produce more than one crop per year, and have been observed to flower and fruit until frost, providing a crop even when floricanes are winter-damaged. Pruning is simplified to mowing the canes down in winter[17](https://uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/horticulture/commercial-fruit-production/blackberries-production.aspx). A breeder presentation reported that almost all world production was floricane-fruiting at the time, and that commercial primocane production had appeared about five years earlier[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf). The trait has limits in hot climates: in Florida, yields and fruit quality of the fall primocane crop are poor because excessive summer heat damages developing flowers[13](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1352).\n\n## How it is grown\n\n**Climate limits.** Winter hardiness is the most limiting factor in blackberry production in the northern United States, and Arkansas varieties lack hardiness in the upper Midwest and northward[17](https://uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/horticulture/commercial-fruit-production/blackberries-production.aspx). In the [Deep South](https://www.edgepedia.org/deep-south) the major limitation is the fungal disease double blossom/rosette, to which the Arkansas-developed thornless varieties show resistance[17](https://uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/horticulture/commercial-fruit-production/blackberries-production.aspx). Some cultivars are poorly adapted to the South because they lack heat and drought tolerance[18](https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ANR-0896_CommericalProductionGuideBlackberryandRaspberry_030723L-G.pdf).\n\n**Pollination.** Most cultivars are self-pollinated, but yields and quality improve with cross pollination; at least two or more bee colonies per acre are recommended[14](https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/AgCircs/id/43628/download).\n\n**Pests.** In a 2024 University of Maryland randomized complete block cultivar trial, the main insect pests observed were spotted wing drosophila (*Drosophila suzukii*) and brown marmorated stink bug (*Halyomorpha halys*). With no regular insecticide applications, significant fruit loss occurred from insect damage, and the yield data reflected cultivar differences rather than true yield potential[19](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/thornless-blackberry-cultivars-suited-mid-atlantic-fs-2024-0709).\n\n**Postharvest.** Deterioration after harvest is the crop's central handling challenge, particularly in warm climates where shelf life is limited. A study over the 2023–2024 seasons evaluated the thornless cultivars 'Prime-Ark Freedom', 'Osage', and 'Sweet-Ark Ponca' under a two-phase cold storage regime of 0 °C for 7 days then 5 °C for 9 days, assessing weight loss, leakiness, and red drupelet reversion at days 0, 7, 12, and 16[20](https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11091071).\n\n## By the numbers\n\nA 2005 global survey estimated 20,035 ha of blackberries planted and commercially cultivated worldwide, a 45% increase from 1995, with 7,692 ha in Europe and 7,159 ha in North America; wild harvest added 8,000 ha and 13,460 Mg in 2004[3](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml). In that survey's production figures, North America produced 59,123 tonnes and Europe 43,000 tonnes[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2). In 2016, blackberries were the fourth most economically important U.S. berry crop, with $549 million in sales[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2).\n\n**Mexico's rise.** Mexico's sowing area grew from 1,911.90 ha in 2000 to 13,081.89 ha in 2016, then decreased to 9,585.16 ha in 2021 with 212,316 t of production at 22.94 t/ha, before rising again in 2022 to 222,623.05 t at 23.1 t/ha[21](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531). In 2019 Mexico produced 298,024 t on 12,900 ha at an average yield of 23.1 t/ha, while the USA ranked eighth with 28,164 t on 3,439 ha[21](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531). The USDA forecast Mexico's 2025 production at 250,000 MT, up 3% from an estimated 243,000 MT in 2024, keeping it the world's number one producer; production reached a record 298,000 MT in 2019, fell 27% in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and grew an estimated 11% between 2020 and 2024[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf). Mexico's advantage is its November-to-June production window, when most producer countries cannot meet demand; Guatemala's window runs from November to August[21](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531). About 75% of retail (grocery-store) blackberries sold in the US are produced in Central Mexico[12](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf), and in recent years imported tonnage from Mexico alone exceeded total US domestic production, driven by labor cost and availability[22](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=417178).\n\n**Yields and prices.** Mexican growers obtain about 18 MT/ha, with roughly 7,500 plants per hectare; plants begin producing after five months and can continue for up to ten years[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf). Published yield figures for Mexico differ between sources: the USDA FAS report gives about 18 MT/ha, while the peer-reviewed Agro Productividad analysis gives 23.1 t/ha for 2019 and 2022 and 22.94 t/ha for 2021[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf) • [21](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531). In Arkansas replicated trials, 'Caddo' yielded more than 20,000 kg/ha in every year except 2016, averaging 21,535 kg/ha over five years, against 21,664 kg/ha for 'Osage' (5 years), 20,468 kg/ha for 'Ouachita' (3 years), and 24,863 kg/ha for 'Natchez' (3 years)[6](https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/9/article-p1632.xml). An Alabama Extension guide sets a commercial planting's expected yield at 6,000 to 8,000 pounds per acre[18](https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ANR-0896_CommericalProductionGuideBlackberryandRaspberry_030723L-G.pdf), and replicated Florida trials of low-chill lines yielded 10,000 to 12,000 lbs per acre, with single-plot trials observing up to 32,000 lbs per acre[23](https://fshs.memberclicks.net/assets/2025Conference/K12.pdf). Oregon produced 20,100 tons on 6,300 acres in 2017, an average of 3.19 tons per acre, and is the predominant source of cultivated US blackberry production[24](https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/blackberries). Prices diverge sharply by market: in 2016 the processed price was $0.41 per pound against $0.84 per pound for fresh fruit[24](https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/blackberries). Budgets show the economics: a North Carolina State organic budget reached break-even three years after planting and $46,203 cumulative net profit per acre over six years, assuming a peak yield of 10,000 pounds per acre, 80% marketable harvest, and $5.59 per pound retail; a [University of California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-california) conventional budget showed break-even in year 3 and $53,431 net profit after six years[25](https://www.ncat.org/publication/brambles-organic-production/).\n\n## Composition and health research\n\nBlackberry fruit contains high levels of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds, mainly flavonols and ellagitannins, which contribute to its high antioxidant capacity[7](https://pubs.acs.org/jafcau/article/60/23/5716/1642208/The-Blackberry-Fruit-A-Review-on-Its-Composition). The fruit is also particularly high in dietary fiber, vitamins C and K, and manganese[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2). Phenolic composition and concentrations vary with genetics, growing conditions, and maturation[7](https://pubs.acs.org/jafcau/article/60/23/5716/1642208/The-Blackberry-Fruit-A-Review-on-Its-Composition).\n\nThe documented biological findings come from laboratory and animal work: blackberry phenolic compounds show protective effects on age-related neurodegenerative diseases and bone loss in vivo and inhibit low-density lipoprotein and liposomal oxidation in vitro, and blackberry extracts have exerted antimutagenic effects in vitro and in vivo by modifying cell signaling pathways and suppressing tumor promotion factors[7](https://pubs.acs.org/jafcau/article/60/23/5716/1642208/The-Blackberry-Fruit-A-Review-on-Its-Composition). Recent reviews of blackberry utilization and molecular biology cover work such as extraction of ellagic acid from Hull blackberries and its potential anticancer activity[26](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.105371). These are laboratory and in-vivo results, not established clinical benefits in humans.\n\n## How it compares with its bramble relatives\n\nCommercial *Rubus* production spans red raspberry (*R. idaeus*), black raspberry (*R. occidentalis*), blackberries (*R. subgenus Rubus*), and hybrids such as [boysenberry](https://www.edgepedia.org/boysenberry) and [marionberry](https://www.edgepedia.org/marionberry)[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2). Bramble fruits also include the less common dewberry, tayberry, and [loganberry](https://www.edgepedia.org/loganberry), all within *Rubus* of the family Rosaceae alongside apple, peach, pear, and strawberry[25](https://www.ncat.org/publication/brambles-organic-production/).\n\nThe receptacle mechanism separates blackberry from raspberry at a stroke: the blackberry's core is picked and eaten, the raspberry's is left on the cane[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2) • [2](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Rubus.pdf). Within blackberry, trailing types flower and ripen earlier than erect cultivars, making them more susceptible to late frosts, and produce smaller, more open fruit clusters that are sweeter but bruise more easily[14](https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/AgCircs/id/43628/download). Trailing types, particularly western trailing blackberries, develop deep root systems that make them more drought resistant than most erect blackberries or raspberries and capable of greater yields, while erect blackberries tend to be more cold hardy[14](https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/AgCircs/id/43628/download). In commercial scale, raspberry remains larger: world production of red and black raspberries reached 840,000 tonnes in 2017[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2).\n\n## Invasiveness and control\n\nThe same biology that makes blackberries productive makes them invasive. *Rubus* plants propagate sexually, by apomixis (asexual seed production without fertilization, cloning the parent), and vegetatively, which makes them highly invasive[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2). European blackberry, a group of closely related species in the *[Rubus fruticosus](https://www.edgepedia.org/rubus-fruticosus)* aggregate, is an introduced invasive shrub of agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystems in Australia[27](https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643104204.rubus). Introduced there in the early 1830s, it has spread throughout its climatic limits, covering more than 8.8 million hectares, and the aggregate is recognized as a Weed of National Significance[28](https://vgls.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/asset/1013355). The costs are quantified: in 1984 the estimated annual aggregated cost across Australian states and territories was $42 million against an annual aggregated benefit of $660,000, and in 2006 annual production losses and control costs were estimated at least $70 million[28](https://vgls.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/asset/1013355).\n\n**Biological control.** European surveys in the 1970s identified three potential agents: the stem-boring sawfly *Hartigia albomaculata*, the purple blotch fungus *Septocyta ruborum*, and the leaf-rust fungus *Phragmidium violaceum*[27](https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643104204.rubus). The leaf-rust fungus was found in Australia in 1984 after an unauthorised introduction, and a tested isolate (F15) was officially released in the early 1990s[27](https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643104204.rubus). In 2000, eight additional genetically diverse rust isolates were sourced via a trap garden in Europe; after host-specificity demonstration and release approval in 2004, a large-scale release program including re-release of F15 was established[27](https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643104204.rubus). Australia's *Rubus* flora also includes 10 native blackberry species requiring protection alongside the introduced ones[28](https://vgls.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/asset/1013355).\n\n## What has changed since 2023\n\n**New cultivars.** The Arkansas program released 'Sweet-Ark Immaculate' in 2023, a thornless floricane-fruiting cultivar with medium to large berries shown to hold up well after harvest[15](https://aaes.uada.edu/fruit-breeding/blackberries/). The James Hutton Institute named and released 'Loch Katrine' in 2024 after exceptional results in breeding and on-farm trials; it has large fruit of consistent size and shape, an aromatic sweet flavor with low acidity and no bitterness or astringency, and yields consistently competitive with 'Loch Ness' in Scottish trials[29](https://www.hutton.ac.uk/scientific-services/improving-crop-production/breeding/blackberry-breeding/). The USDA-ARS cooperative program based in [Corvallis, Oregon](https://www.edgepedia.org/corvallis-oregon), which evaluates roughly 5,000 to 6,000 individuals from new breeding families annually, has released three blackberries, 'Celestial', 'Thunderhead', and 'Zodiac', with improved fruit quality and productivity[22](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=417178).\n\n**Molecular breeding.** The Arkansas program published advances in molecular breeding targeting the primocane-fruiting and thornless traits of tetraploid blackberry in February 2024[30](https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2024.1388.12). Earlier work had mapped thornlessness to linkage group 4 and annual fruiting to linkage group 7 using 119 SSR markers in a 'Prime-Jim' × 'Arapaho' map[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2), though both recessive and dominant inheritance systems for thornlessness occur among cultivars and the genetic nature of some thornlessness genes remains poorly understood[31](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1300/J301v04n02_09). Fully sequenced *Rubus* genomes now enable gene editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2).\n\n**Heat and machine harvest.** The USDA-ARS program is selecting for machine-harvestable germplasm with higher firmness, post-harvest durability, and tolerance of the increasingly frequent extreme heat events affecting the western US, in cooperation with [Oregon State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/oregon-state-university) and [Washington State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/washington-state-university)[22](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=417178). A Washington State University 'Beat the Heat' trial led by USDA-ARS caneberry breeder Michael Hardigan is examining a genetically diverse panel of commercial cultivars and new experimental selections for heat stress response to preserve [Pacific Northwest](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-northwest) production[32](https://extension.wsu.edu/beat-the-heat/2025/05/27/blackberry-diversity-trial-preserving-pacific-northwest-production/). The University of Florida's program, launched in 2015, has screened more than 25,000 seedlings, identified 65 promising lines, and moved 32 selections into grower fields[23](https://fshs.memberclicks.net/assets/2025Conference/K12.pdf).\n\n**Market.** Mexico's total berry exports, including blackberries, were forecast at 752,000 MT in calendar year 2025, up 5% from an estimated 716,000 MT in 2024, driven by strong US demand[5](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf). Mexico's plant breeder's rights gazette listed 99 registered blackberry varieties in 2023: 48 from American companies, 40 from Mexico, 6 from Spain, 2 from Chile, 2 from the UK, and 1 from the Netherlands[21](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Genetic and genomic resources for Rubus breeding: a roadmap for the future, Horticulture Research](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41438-019-0199-2)\n2. [Rubus L., USDA Forest Service Woody Plant Seed Manual](https://www.fs.usda.gov/nsl/Wpsm/Rubus.pdf)\n3. [Worldwide Blackberry Production, HortTechnology 2007](https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/17/2/article-p205.xml)\n4. [Blackberry breeding and cultivar development review, USDA ARS](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=279405)\n5. [USDA FAS GAIN Report: Berry Annual Voluntary, Mexico, 2025](https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Berry+Annual+Voluntary_Guadalajara_Mexico_MX2025-0005.pdf)\n6. ['Caddo' Thornless Blackberry, HortScience 54(9), 2019](https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/9/article-p1632.xml)\n7. [The Blackberry Fruit: A Review on Its Composition and Chemistry, Metabolism and Bioavailability, and Health Benefits, J. Agric. Food Chem.](https://pubs.acs.org/jafcau/article/60/23/5716/1642208/The-Blackberry-Fruit-A-Review-on-Its-Composition)\n8. [Blackberries, Journal of Small Fruit & Horticulture](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1300/J065v04n01_02)\n9. [Bullying blackberries, Washington State Magazine](https://magazine.wsu.edu/web-extra/bullying-blackberries/)\n10. [Cultivar development and selection, Blackberries and their hybrids, CABI](https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780646688.0063)\n11. [Blackberry Production Systems – a Worldwide Perspective, Strik et al. 2012](https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/horticulture/attachments/ah27_strik_et_al_blackberry_prod_systems_946341-347_2012.pdf)\n12. [Blackberry Cultivar Development at the University of Arkansas, J. Clark](https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/uploads/2/9/1/4/29140369/clark,_j_-_blackberry_cultivar_development.pdf)\n13. [HS1352: Choosing the Right Blackberry Cultivar in Subtropical Florida, UF/IFAS](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1352)\n14. [Blackberry Production in New Mexico, New Mexico State University](https://nmsu.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/AgCircs/id/43628/download)\n15. [Blackberries, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fruit Breeding](https://aaes.uada.edu/fruit-breeding/blackberries/)\n16. ['Ouachita' Thornless Blackberry, HortScience cultivar release](https://www.growables.org/information/documents2/BlackberryHortS2.pdf)\n17. [Blackberry and Raspberry Commercial Production, University of Arkansas Extension](https://uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/crops-commercial-horticulture/horticulture/commercial-fruit-production/blackberries-production.aspx)\n18. [Commercial Production Guide: Blackberry and Raspberry, Alabama Cooperative Extension ANR-0896](https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ANR-0896_CommericalProductionGuideBlackberryandRaspberry_030723L-G.pdf)\n19. [Thornless Blackberry Cultivars Suited for the Mid-Atlantic, University of Maryland Extension](https://extension.umd.edu/resource/thornless-blackberry-cultivars-suited-mid-atlantic-fs-2024-0709)\n20. [Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Three Thornless Blackberry Cultivars over Two Seasons, Horticulturae](https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11091071)\n21. [The importance of blackberry (Rubus spp.) production in Mexico, Agro Productividad](https://doi.org/10.32854/agrop.v16i10.2531)\n22. [USDA-ARS cooperative small fruit breeding program overview](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=417178)\n23. [Progress in Blackberry Breeding and Variety Trials at UF/IFAS, FSHS 2025](https://fshs.memberclicks.net/assets/2025Conference/K12.pdf)\n24. [Blackberries, Agricultural Marketing Resource Center](https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/blackberries)\n25. [Brambles: Organic Production, NCAT](https://www.ncat.org/publication/brambles-organic-production/)\n26. [Research progress on utilization and molecular biology of blackberry, Food Bioscience 2024](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.105371)\n27. [Rubus fruticosus L. aggregate – European blackberry, biological control chapter, CSIRO Publishing](https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643104204.rubus)\n28. [Blackberry control manual, Victoria, Australia](https://vgls.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/asset/1013355)\n29. [Blackberry Breeding, James Hutton Institute](https://www.hutton.ac.uk/scientific-services/improving-crop-production/breeding/blackberry-breeding/)\n30. [Advances in molecular breeding of blackberries in the Arkansas fruit breeding program, Acta Horticulturae 2024](https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2024.1388.12)\n31. [Thornlessness in Blackberries](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1300/J301v04n02_09)\n32. [Blackberry Diversity Trial: Preserving Pacific Northwest Production, WSU Extension](https://extension.wsu.edu/beat-the-heat/2025/05/27/blackberry-diversity-trial-preserving-pacific-northwest-production/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Cultivars and cultivated forms › Fruit cultivars › Berry, vine, and other temperate fruit cultivars › Bramble and Rubus cultivars*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Blackberry\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Blackberry](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Blackberry\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/blackberry-epwh3cp6ve. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Blackberry: solid-core aggregate bramble fruit, unlike hollow raspberries. Over 400 cultivars; Mexico leads production; invasive weed in Australia." }