Blackberries

Raised by Long Ashton Research Station. A very heavy cropping blackberry with the real blackberry flavour. The fruits are medium sized, bright attractive and borne in heavy clusters. Juicy fruits hang in abundance with the real wild blackberry flavour. Superb for freezing, pies, desserts, jams and all purposes. Ashton Cross has given exceptionally heavy yields of quality fruit at the National Fruit trials over a 5 year period and has cropped at 50% more than Bedford Giant, the standard heaviest cropping variety. The fruits are normally ripe the first week in August and continue until the end of September giving…

This marvellous variety was raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute. Loch Ness is a breakthrough in blackberry research and has a different type of growth to the standard varieties. The canes are vigorous, spine free, semi erect and very easy to manage. This new type of growth is ideal for the smaller garden where Loch Ness can be grown against a single post or even in a row of raspberries. The fruits are very large for a blackberry (4g) have a good colour and a lovely flavour. Picking is very easy from the thornless upright canes. Loch Ness crops…

The canes are completely thornless and its main advantage is that it ripens earlier than the other thornless varieties. The fruits are bright, juicy and attractive and provide an excellent crop, excels in a sunny position.

Cropping late to extend the season the fruits are produced to cover a long picking season, the yield is exceptionally heavy equal to Silvan and Waldo. The quality of the fruit is superb and they have a sweeter flavour than most blackberries. Cane growth is semi erect with the advantage that less space is required. A real exhibition quality variety with a very remarkable flavour. Suitable for all purposes.

An old hybrid blackberry raised by crossing two wild blackberries at the John Innes Institute in approximately 1923. Vigorous thorny canes, giving heavy crops of very large fruits in September and October. Good sweet flavour.

One of the finest flavours of all blackberries. An early mid-season variety with a heavy crop of high quality fruit that produces its main crop the same time as Bedford Giant. The canes are thorny but easy to manage. Growth is vigorous and the long purple-black fruits are well displayed. An established plant in full yield is a magnificent sight. Kotata was bred in Oregan, USA and has the typical bright glossy fruit. A lovely new variety that has given excellent results in our trials.

The Marion berry is a hybrid berry and the fruits are well presented for picking, large and juicy, with a succulent loganberry-type flavour that is perfect for dessert and freezing. The picking season is long and often lasts in excess of 9 weeks from mid-July until very late September, making it the longest picking of all hybrid cultivars. The canes are vigorous and thorny. Previously classified as a hybrid berry, but now considered a true blackberry.

A very notable introduction from Oregon, U.S.A. Black Beaute has the most enormous berries, which weigh in at a hefty 11 grams each – that’s twice the weight of an ordinary cultivated blackberry. With their glossy black colouring and pleasant aroma, these collosal berries provide a most attractive sight at the tea table and are sure to win prizes at any show. But Black Beaute is also a superb eating variety with very good flavour and fleshy, juicy fruits. These make an outstanding pie or preserve and are also ideal for juicing. Black Beaute is a pleasure to grow and…

A heavy crop of sweet berries, completely thornless. Season – September. The large, bright berries are easily picked when fully ripe. Prefers a full sun position to produce of its best. The quality fruit has an excellent flavour but somewhat acid. Superb for jam.

An early fruiting thorny hybrid. The large long dark purple-black fruits have a superb flavour and are ready in early-mid July.