The Boysenberry is a cross among the European raspberry (Rubus idaeus), European blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), American dewberry (Rubus aboriginum), and loganberry (Rubus × loganobaccus). A prolific producer of sweet-tart, large, reddish black fruit in midsummer on second year growth. The beautiful bountiful berries sit against dark green foliage that make this plant not only useful but beautiful. Plant them as a hedge or border or even in a container for decadent berries at your fingertips. This vine is self fertile and grows and matures very quickly. You can expect fruit as early as its second season. Small white flowers precede the fruit on nearly thornless canes in spring. The fruit can be eaten fresh, cooked, or frozen. The plant traced back to grower Rudolph Boysen, who obtained the dewberry-loganberry parent from the farm of John Lubben. Boysenberries grow on low, trailing plants and are characterized by their soft texture, thin skins, and sweet-tart flavor. Very large, fragile, purple berry with few seeds. Although this variety is named thorn-less, there are truly no thorn-less Boysenberries. However, this variety has far fewer and smaller thorns than other varieties. USDA zones 5-10.
