This Maryland bred variety is a semi-erect, spine free, late season, quality blackberry and was selected as a successor to Chester.
The berries are significantly larger than those of Chester at 6.5 grams and have a bright shiny appearance and excellent shelf life. Flavour is superior to Chester and is considered to be the best flavoured of all the erect, thornless types, although the fruit is a little softer.
Cropping starts towards the end of August and continues until the first frosts. The canes are frost hardy and vigorous.
Eventual height: 1½m (5ft). Eventual spread: 2m (7ft). Cropping season: End August-first frosts. Self fertile.
*Bareroot – November to March is the ideal time to plant bare-root plants. These are plants that have been grown in open ground, then dug up for dispatch and planting during the dormant season. They are called ‘bare-root’ plants as they are supplied with no soil around their roots. They will come packed in damp compost to stop the roots drying out and should be planted as soon as possible. As long as the compost is kept damp planting can be delayed for a few weeks if necessary.