Rubus Thornless Evergreen, Blackberry Rubus Laciniatus

Rubus Thornless Evergreen is a hardy evergreen blackberry with thornless brambles. It produces high yields of blackberries and suits kitchen gardens, warm sunny walls, and is suitable for plant containers with support.

Rubrus Laciniatus is a species of blackberry that’s native to central and northern Europe, but it’s also naturalised in America and Australia. Its botanic name Rubus Laciniatus Thornless Evergreen is a good indication of its merits.

This is an evergreen bramble that winds its way across fencelines and other supportive plants, but unlike common blackberries its brambles are thornless. Blackberry Thornless Evergreen’s foliage remains on the brambles through winter before fresh new leaves join in early spring. Small white flowers bloom in summer that attract our native pollinators and develop into rich blackberries in August.

Thornless blackberries are large and sweet and they are produced in large quantities. They’re suitable for freezing and blackbirds are keen to harvest what they can, so there is very little waste.

This is a productive fruiting bramble and a very efficient way to grow your own blackberries if space is limited or you want a fruit-producing slope cover. 

Height And Spread of Rubus Laciniatus Thornless Evergreen
Blackberry Thornless Evergreen reaches about 1.5 – 2 metres in height and spread.

How Hardy Is Rubus Laciniatus Thornless Evergreen
This is a native blackberry shrub so it’s hardy enough to withstand the UK climate. Once established it’s fairly drought tolerant but will produce more blackberries when watered frequently.

How To Use Rubus Thornless Evergreen
There are lots of ways to grow this native blackberry. It scrambles along slopes and banks providing evergreen ground cover and it will grow up a wall or fence line on supports.
Its high yield and suitability for freezing make it an excellent choice for kitchen gardens and jam makers, but it’s also at home in a small urban space where blackberries are eaten straight from the bush. Try growing it over an arch or pergola as a productive alternative to jasmine or roses.
You can grow Blackberry Thornless Evergreen in a container, but it will need strong wire supports and plenty of water and food in the growing months.

How To Care For Rubus Thornless Evergreen
Blackberry Thornless Evergreen is very easy to grow. It produces most fruit in full sun but will tolerate partial shade too. Most soils are fine, but very chalky soil will need bulking up with lots of well-rotted organic matter.
Cut away fruited stems in autumn and tie in the new stems which will hold next year’s crop. Water well until t’s established and during the hot months for the best harvest.

Lots more berries and soft fruit here.