Rubus boysenberry, thornless (F)
thornless boysenberry
The thornless boysenberry is a vigorous hybrid berry with thornless canes spreading up to 2m wide. Small white flowers are borne in spring and the purple-black fruits, tasting like sweet blackberries, ripen in late summer
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Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Black Purple | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Trailing
- Genus
Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Usually fan-trained on free-standing post and wire support systems or can be grown vertically over an arch. Mulch with well-rotted compost or manure
Propagation
Propagate by tip layering or from cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Banks and slopes
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
Cut out old canes following fruiting and leave new canes tied together with soft string over winter. Untie and train along the support system in the spring. See pruning hybrid berries for more detail
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, raspberry beetle and gall mites
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)
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