Blackberry
Rubus spp.
Thornless kinds keep the peace.
Hardiness: zones 5 to 9
Light: full sun
Size: about 4 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: July to August
From: Americas and Europe
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife.
Hardy in zones 5 to 9.
The story
Bred from blackberries, a genus with many North American natives. Ponca comes from the University of Arkansas program (sold as Sweet-Ark Ponca). Fruit only forms on second-year canes, called floricanes.
Planting
Full sun. Soil: moist, well-drained (pH 5.5–7.0). Spacing: 3 ft. Pollination: self-fertile.
Growing
Water: don't let it dry out during flowering and fruiting. Winter: Cut out canes that already fruited. Spring: Feed in spring. Summer: Pick when berries turn dull black, not shiny. Fall: Leave this year's new canes; they carry next year's fruit.
Harvest and use
Harvest: Summer, several weeks. First crop: year 2 (fruits on second-year canes).
What to watch for
Spotted wing drosophila, cane blight.
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More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home