About
Rubus fruticosus, in its broadest sense, is the blackberry. 'Black Butte' fruits from mid summer until early autumn. There are both thorny and thornless cultivars available with long arching canes. The large berries are up to 5cm long and 2.5cm wide and are suitable as dessert fruit or for cooking.
About the 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
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHNeutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, East-facing, South-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Shrubs
HabitTrailing
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationUsually grown fan trained. Mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. May have the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well. See blackberry cultivation for further advice
PruningCut out old canes following fruiting and tie in new canes; see pruning blackberries
PropagationPropagate by tip layering or from cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, leafhoppers, raspberry beetle and gall mites
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)