| Blackberries were perceived by the ancient cultures | | | | have been enjoyed by humans for centuries. Luther |
| as being a wild plant, and historical accounts for a | | | | Burbank wrote in his book, Fruit Improvement, in |
| backyard culture of blackberry bushes are few. The | | | | 1921 that many hybrids had been developed by his |
| Greeks used the blackberry as a remedy for Gout, | | | | efforts and others to grow thornless blackberry |
| and the Romans made a tea from the leaves of the | | | | bushes and vines. These thornless creations were at |
| blackberry plant to treat various illnesses. | | | | first inferior in taste and quality to the thorny |
| John Bartram, the early American explorer, botanist, | | | | species; however, modern hybridizers of thornless |
| and writer founded the first United States Botanical | | | | blackberry plants have created the cultivars: |
| Garden, in 1728. In the early American colonies, | | | | The most important new hybrid, the Triple Crown, |
| William Bartram in his book, Travels, noted that | | | | was released by the USDA. These new thornless |
| General Oglethorpe was sent to the colony of | | | | blackberry bushes are released for growing in the |
| Georgia in 1733 to investigate the possibility of | | | | Middle Atlantic and Pacific Northwest. The Triple |
| establishing various temperate and subtropical plants | | | | Crown is thornless and ripens early to midseason. The |
| which might "prove valuable for Georgia farms and | | | | fruit is firm and black with a balanced sub-acid sweet |
| orchards." William Bartram noted further in his book, | | | | taste and is aromatically pleasing. This berry release is |
| Travels, that he his father, John Bartram, were sent | | | | expected to be the sensational highlight for |
| to explore the Southern colonies that included East | | | | gardeners everywhere expecting high quality and |
| Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Alabama to take | | | | growing adaptation. Other, older thornless blackberry |
| an inventory of plants growing there after the | | | | releases are: Apache, Hull, Thornfree, Black Satin, |
| Spanish were expelled by the English. Bartram | | | | Arapaho, Navaho, Chester, and Boysenberry. All |
| reported that just outside of Mobile, Alabama, it | | | | these blackberries have overcome the sticky |
| "grows here five or six feet high, rambling like Brier | | | | problems of the original thornless blackberry hybrids. |
| vines over the fences and shrubs." | | | | Commercial thorny blackberry production has been |
| Much of the first modern blackberry variety | | | | stimulated by an introduction of these blackberry |
| development was done in America, beginning with | | | | released cultivars: Austin-Mayes dewberry, Chicasaw |
| Judge Logan of California in 1880, and the release and | | | | blackberry, Shawnee blackberry, Kiowa blackberry, |
| introduction of the Loganberry. | | | | Choctaw blackberry, Cherokee blackberry, Cheyenne |
| The Boysenberry was developed from a natural | | | | blackberry, Lawton blackberry, and the Ouchita |
| selection saved from the abandoned farm of Mr. | | | | blackberry that makes you say 'ouch' when you pick |
| Rudolf Boysen by USDA member George Darrow, | | | | them. Most of the above released blackberry |
| along with Walter Knott, a California fruit and berry | | | | cultivars are hybrids of a Brazos blackberry and |
| enthusiast, whose wife began making berry | | | | Darrow cross. |
| preserves, and that farm later became the famous | | | | Blackberries please the taste of humans as well as |
| Knotts Berry Farm, located near the Walt Disney | | | | that of animals and are believed by many wildlife |
| amusement park in California. | | | | conservationists to be the most important naturalized |
| The Youngberry was developed in 1905 in Morgan | | | | growing plant that provides food for wildlife. |
| City, Louisiana; it is a cross between Luther | | | | Wildlife animals and birds eat blackberries as food or |
| Burbank's, Phenomenal Berry, and the Austin-Mayes | | | | receive a thorny protective cover from blackberry |
| Dewberry, a trailing blackberry. This berry had | | | | bushes or vines that wind along fences, animals such |
| excellent qualities, such as taste and high yields, and it | | | | as quail, doves, turkey, raccoons, opossums, and |
| soon replaced the Loganberry of California after its | | | | believe it or not, bears. Perhaps children enjoy eating |
| release. | | | | a fistful of blackberries from wild plants growing at |
| Blackberry plants, Rubus spp., can not be truthfully | | | | the edge of the woods in summer, and then return |
| separated accurately by taxonomists into species, | | | | home with the tell-tale purple stains on their teeth, |
| because the original species that existed centuries | | | | lips, and clothing. Wild blackberries are delicious when |
| ago have intercrossed themselves in the natural state | | | | they grow in profusion at the wood's edge into |
| so completely, and the natural selections have | | | | bushy plants or as trailing vines called dewberries. The |
| reached a critical composition and complexity, that | | | | delicate balance of a sweet and sour taste can |
| cannot be adequately recreated through backcrosses. | | | | stimulate the senses from the new hybrid cultivars |
| Blackberry vines and bushes grow in the native state | | | | towards heights unequaled by other berries or fruits. |
| on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. | | | | Much of the early American blackberry hybridization |
| The adaptatation factor to growing blackberries is | | | | was done by Luther Burbank, who introduced his |
| broad and the cold hardiness of the blackberry | | | | Phenomenal Berry and even a white blackberry, but it |
| bushes and vines extends into extremely cold | | | | was too soft to successfully ship commercially. |
| territories. The bush form blackberry is more cold | | | | Although most botanists classify blackberry plants |
| hardy than the trailing blackberry vines, and the range | | | | into 3 types, Erect, trailing vines, and semi-erect |
| of growth extends into the northwestern portions of | | | | plants, the in-between semi-erect plants, theoretically, |
| the United States. The trailing blackberry vines are | | | | could be actually an erect plant loaded with ripe |
| considered by most taxonomists to be: Rubus | | | | berries. That semi-erect classification offers little |
| macropetalus, Rubus loganobaccus, and Rubus ursinus. | | | | clarification of taxonomic principles. |
| Erect blackberry bushes that are recognized as | | | | Blackberries fresh from the vines are useful in many |
| native genera are: Rubus frondosus, Rubus argutus, | | | | foods; they are delicious in frozen packs, canned, as |
| and Rubus allegheniensis. | | | | blackberry wine, ice cream, fresh blackberry juice, |
| Thorns are present in native blackberry plants and | | | | blackberry pies, blackberry jelly, blackberry jam, and |
| the thorns prevent grazing wildlife, animals and birds | | | | best of all when eaten as a fresh fruit. Many health |
| from eating the vines before the berry bushes | | | | benefits come from eating blackberries that are rich |
| flower and later when blackberries are produced. | | | | in anti-oxidants and vitamins along with being a good |
| When the blackberries grow and ripen, they are not | | | | source of the minerals potassium, phosphorus, iron, |
| only consumed by wildlife animals and birds, but they | | | | and calcium. |