No More Scratches: The Era of Modern Thornless Blackberries

Huge sweet fruits, twice-a-year yielding, and frost hardiness without a single prick. Discover the pinnacle of modern breeding.

For many years, growing blackberries in the garden was associated with nasty scratches and the difficult taming of wildly growing, aggressive shoots. However, modern science and breeding programs from around the world have fundamentally changed this fruit species. Today's blackberries are no longer a dangerous thicket.

The results are varieties with 100% smooth, thornless canes that produce unprecedented berries larger than strawberries. Furthermore, primocane (autumn-fruiting) varieties have appeared, offering you a harvest up to twice a year. We present four absolute gems among blackberries – from a Scottish classic to hot new releases from Moldova and Poland.

1. Relevant: Extremely Hardy Moldovan Giant

The 'Relevant' variety is an exceptional blackberry that combines the most desirable traits for modern cultivation. It handles extreme frosts (down to -30 °C) and strong winds, making it ideal even for harsher climates. However, what truly amazes are its massive fruits with an average weight of 10 g and excellent shelf life. It grows very vigorously and branches out abundantly. Unlike some other varieties, 'Relevant' yields only once a year on last year's canes (a so-called summer (floricane) variety), but with an exceptionally high yield starting in mid-July.

2. Juhas: A Sweet, Double Harvest from Poland

'Juhas' is a hot novelty primarily aimed at commercial cultivation, but home gardeners will fall in love with it too. It is a primocane (remontant) variety, which means it splits its harvest into two waves. The first comes in July on the old wood, and the second wave in September on the current year's shoots, extending the harvest period up to 7 weeks.

The 'Juhas' variety stands out with very sweet fruits (14.5% Brix) and low acidity. It is absolutely top-tier for freezing, as the fruit does not suffer from so-called color reversion after thawing (it does not turn red but remains beautifully dark).

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3. Maryna: Extreme Shelf Life for Connoisseurs

'Maryna' is another Polish primocane (twice-yielding) novelty created for a single purpose – the production of premium dessert fruit. It offers exceptionally large berries (over 7 g), an attractive elongated shape, and amazing flavor. It will astound customers with its post-harvest shelf life, keeping the fruit firm and visually flawless even 7 days after picking.

This variety has a moderate and very manageable growth habit. It is adapted for intensive container growing, where it can produce a high-quality yield during the double harvest from a single bush.

4. Loch Ness: The Proven Scottish Classic

The 'Loch Ness' variety is an absolute global staple. Bred in Scotland in 1978, it is one of the first commercially successful, 100% thornless varieties, maintaining its position to this day. It offers vigorous growth, traditional blackberry flavor with gentle acidity, and a firm berry structure. The bush does not form typical root suckers (it doesn't spread like a weed through the garden), but instead pushes out new strong canes from the root crown.

Average Berry Size Comparison

While wild blackberries barely reach a weight of 2 grams, modern varieties have transformed this fruit into respectable giants.

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Summary Overview of Varieties

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Today's blackberries are no longer a dangerous thicket full of thorns. Breeding has resulted in luxurious, elegant plants yielding enormous, sweet dessert fruits.