Organic Buckingham Tayberry

The Buckingham® Organic Tayberry is a recent variety of tayberry (raspberry-blackberry cross) derived from organic agriculture. It is a sarmentose perennial plant, almost devoid of thorns, with long flexible branches and rapid growth. It produces very large elongated fruits, dark red-black when ripe in July-August, with a very fine taste, a mix of blackberry and raspberry. This variety is self-fertile, highly productive, vigorous, and very hardy. Undoubtedly, this little fruit will surprise food lovers. Plant it in ordinary, well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade.  

The Buckingham® Tayberry belongs to the large Rosaceae family. The tayberry is a crossbreed between a raspberry and a wild bramble*. The 'Buckingham' cultivar has a flexible and spreading habit, with branches that can reach 2 metres (7 feet) in length and a stump that can occupy 2 metres (7 feet) of ground. The foliage is deciduous, falling in autumn. It is a vibrant green colour, composed of entire, wavy, and toothed leaves with visible veins, very similar to raspberry leaves. The stems are almost thornless, with a few small inherited thorns from its parents. They only live to bear fruit (2 years) and are replaced over time by shoots coming from the stump. Production reaches its normal level in the third year after planting. The abundant and honey-producing flowering displays numerous small white flowers, 1.5 cm (1in) in diameter, grouped in clusters. It occurs in May. The fruits that form are made up of drupes clustered on the receptacle, adhering to it. They are large, elongated, measuring up to 5cm (2in) in length, initially appearing red and then becoming purple-black when ripe in July-August. They should be harvested when fully ripe, as they are both sweet and tangy, very well-balanced, combining the fragrance of raspberry and blackberry. The fruits can be consumed fresh after picking, or frozen, and are perfect for making jams.

The Buckingham® Tayberry produces very long flexible branches that must be trained (on a trellis, fence, or lattice). Hardy and easy to grow, it thrives in ordinary soil, with a preference for fertile, well-drained, and fresh soil. It will be perfectly suited to the shelter of a sunny or partially shaded wall, highlighting the bare wood of the flexible branches in winter. Tayberries, like raspberries, contain two specific sugars, levulose and fructose, and very little sucrose, making them low in energy. The fruits also contain ellagic acid, tannins, vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium.

*This crossbreeding was first achieved in 1881 in Santa Cruz by James Harvey Logan, who named his creation the 'Loganberry'. There are several varieties of these hybrids. They exhibit growth characteristics similar to those of blackberries: great vigour, bushy habit; but the fruits are closer to raspberries, albeit darker, larger, and more elongated.