Thornless Evergreen Blackberry - Rubus fruticosus

The Thornless evergreen Mulberry is a vigorous, hardy and highly productive variety. Without thorns or almost without, it produces large black-purple, round and slightly elongated fruits. They are tasty, juicy and deliciously acidic. It is a very hardy plant that should be trained along a wall or on a sturdy trellis. It is a self-fertile variety, which yields an abundant harvest in late August and late September. The fruits are delicious fresh and make excellent jams, jellies or pies. Its semi-evergreen finely cut foliage is an additional asset for the garden.

The Mulberry belongs to the genus Rubus, which is native to the mountains of the Caucasus in Asia Minor. The genus has diversified over time and has given rise to several subgenera, including raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and blackberries (Rubus fruticosus). This last genus includes many subspecies that differ in size, colour and acidity level of the fruit. In Europe and America, this berry has been consumed for about 2000 years. The Thornless evergreen Mulberry belongs to the subgenus Rubus fruticosus and is part of cultivated blackberries. It was selected in the USA, in Oregon, Washington.

Hardy and easy to grow, the Thornless evergreen Mulberry thrives in ordinary soil, with a preference for fertile, well-drained and fresh soil. It thrives when grown against a sunny or partially shaded wall, showcasing the bare wood of the flexible branches in winter. Garden Mulberries are hybrids derived from the Thornless Blackberry, Rubus var. inermis, itself obtained by cross-breeding the blackberry and the raspberry. Extensive work has led to the development of many particularly productive thornless varieties, most of which are of American origin.
The Thornless evergreen Mulberry is a climbing perennial plant with a semi-shrubby and bushy habit. The branches reach a length of 2 to 3 m (7 to 10ft), and the stump can occupy 0.5 m (2ft) of ground. These branches should be trained: fence, wire mesh, trellis, pergola, arches... there are numerous solutions.
The foliage is semi-evergreen, bright green, composed of finely cut and toothed leaves, with visible veins, very similar to raspberry leaves. The stems are thornless. If one of them has thorns, cut it flush with the ground. They only live to bear fruit (2 years) and are gradually replaced by suckers coming from the stump.
The abundant and honey-scented flowering shows numerous small white-pink flowers with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 cm (1in), grouped in clusters. It takes place from May to June, from the first year of planting.

The fruits that form are composed of agglutinated drupes on the receptacle, adherent. They are large, much larger than those of wild blackberries, turning red and then black when ripe, from August to October. They should be picked when fully black, as they are then sweet and acidic, juicy and flavorful. The fruits can be consumed fresh as soon as they are picked, in jellies, jams, on pies or even in sorbets, syrups and juices. They can be perfectly preserved in the freezer.