Blackberry plants are great to have in the yard, but you can get scratched by thorns on the canes when harvesting your berries! Luckily, there are plenty of blackberry varieties that are thornless.
So, what thornless blackberry plants are available? Thornless blackberry plants include: Apache, Arapaho, Baby Cakes, Chester, Columbia Giant, Freedom, Natchez, Navajo, Ouachita, Ponca, Traveler, and Triple Crown.
Of course, animals will also be able to get fruit from thornless blackberry plants more easily.
In this article, we’ll talk about some thornless blackberry varieties that you can plant and their characteristics.
Let’s get going.
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Thornless Blackberry Plants
Although many blackberry plants have sharp thorns, there are several varieties that do not have any.
Thornless raspberry varieties include:
- Apache
- Arapaho
- Baby Cakes
- Chester
- Columbia Giant
- Freedom
- Natchez
- Navajo
- Ouachita
- Ponca
- Traveler
- Triple Crown
Below, you can find detailed descriptions of various types of thornless blackberries.
Apache
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. An Apache blackberry plant grows 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in early summer and continue blooming throughout summer.
Apache blackberry plants bear fruit in mid to late June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Apache blackberry plants from Plant Me Green.
You can buy Apache blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Arapaho
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. An Arapaho blackberry plant grows 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in early spring and continue blooming throughout spring.
Arapaho blackberry plants bear fruit in mid-June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Arapaho blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
You can buy Arapaho blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Baby Cakes
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 to 8. A Baby Cakes blackberry plant grows 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers that bloom in spring.
Baby Cakes blackberry plants bear fruit in midsummer. In some regions, the plant will produce twice in a summer! The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Baby Cakes blackberry plants from Monrovia.
You can buy Baby Cakes blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
Chester
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. A Chester blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with pinkish white flowers.
Chester blackberry plants bear fruit in early to mid-August. The berries are medium-sized, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Chester blackberry plants from Gardenia.
You can buy Chester blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
Columbia Giant
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. A Columbia Giant blackberry plant grows 5 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in late spring.
Columbia Giant blackberry plants bear fruit in July. The berries are large, oblong, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Columbia Giant blackberry plants from One Green World.
You can buy Columbia Giant blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Freedom
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. A Freedom blackberry plant grows 5 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with pinkish white flowers. They start blooming in early spring and continue blooming throughout spring.
Freedom blackberry plants bear fruit in June on 2nd year canes, and in July on 1st year canes. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Freedom blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
You can buy Freedom blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Natchez
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. A Natchez blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Natchez blackberry plants bear fruit in early to mid-June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Natchez blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
You can buy Natchez blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Navajo
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 to 10. A Navajo blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Navajo blackberry plants bear fruit in late June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Navajo blackberry plants from the Tree Center Plant Supply Company.
You can buy Navajo blackberry plants from Willis Orchards.
Ouachita
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. An Ouachita blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Ouachita blackberry plants bear fruit in mid-June. The berries are medium-sized, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Ouachita blackberry plants from the Tree Center Plant Supply Company.
You can buy Ouachita blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
Ponca
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. A Ponca blackberry plant grows 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Ponca blackberry plants bear fruit in early June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Ponca blackberry plants from Greenwood Nursery.
You can buy Ponca blackberry plants from Gurney’s.
Traveler
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. A Traveler blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with pinkish white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Traveler blackberry plants bear fruit on 1st year canes in July and on 2nd year canes in June. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Traveler blackberry plants from Burpee.
You can buy Traveler blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
Triple Crown
This thornless blackberry variety is cold hardy and able to grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. A Triple Crown blackberry plant grows 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
The plant is self-pollinating with white flowers. They start blooming in spring.
Triple Crown blackberry plants bear fruit in early August. The berries are large, black, and glossy.
You can learn more about Triple Crown blackberry plants from Stark Brothers.
You can buy Triple Crown blackberry plants from my plant nursery.
Are Thornless Blackberries Invasive?
Some types of blackberries are invasive in certain areas. However, thornless blackberries are not all invasive.
For the most part, raspberries spread faster and are more invasive than blackberries.
Are Thornless Blackberries Deciduous Or Evergreen?
Blackberries are deciduous, meaning that they shed their leaves every year. The same is true for thornless blackberries, which are deciduous.
On the other hand, evergreen plants (such as arborvitae) do not lose their leaves in the winter.
According to the University of Florida Extension, blackberry plants need enough chilling hours during winter to develop flowers and fruit in spring. Generally, blackberry plants need 300 to 900 hours at temperatures of 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius).
Conclusion
Now you have a list of 12 thornless blackberry plants you can try growing in your yard.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
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~Jonathon