5 Reasons To Grow Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries
Make room in your yard for Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries (at least 1 but more is better!) and you will have access to some of the most amazing berries around.
Triple Crown Blackberry has become our family’s favorite blackberry – and not just because it’s thornless (though we do love the ease of harvest). It has a LOT more going for it and has *gasp* dethroned our beloved Marionberry as the most amazing berry to grow.
I planted 3 bushes in an 8-ft. row three years ago just because they were thornless. Really – I didn’t know anything about the Triple Crown variety, but I wanted to replace some out-of-control super thorny blackberries that refused to die completely even after 3 years of being covered (sometimes with plywood!). I thought if I planted thornless berries, I’d always be able to tell if the rogue berry was showing again because it would have thorns. And it worked – when any small thorny shoot comes up it is easy to tell it’s not supposed to be there.
But then, we started realizing that the berries on these thornless bushes were SO very good. And some of them were super-sized berries. And they produced a long time. By year three, those 3 little bushes produced enough blackberries to fill all our fresh-eating desires (including desserts like refreshing berry parfaits and big crumb berry crisps) plus 10 quart bags of frozen berries. That’s when I knew I needed to share this discovery with you! Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you ā thanks for your support!
Where to Buy Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries (click to go to page listings)
- Amazon
- Stark Brothers online
- Burpee online (this is where I ordered mine from a couple years ago)
- Gurney’s online
Basic Growing Information
- Triple Crown blackberry is named for its three attributes; flavor, productivity and vigor. It’s also disease resistant and grows huge berries.
- Grow in zones 5-9, though they have insufficient cold hardiness for many northern regions except in tunnels.
- The recommended spacing is 5 ft apart (ours are only 3-4 ft. apart and obviously do well).
- They like slightly acidic, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
- Very sturdy canes; considered semi-erect because they produce some longer, new non-fruiting canes mid-summer – just cut them to 4-5 ft. when they get long (for established shrubs). This is called “tip-pruning.”
- Immediately after fruit harvest, remove all canes that fruited to the ground. In late winter to early spring, remove any canes damaged by winter and thin the remaining canes to 4 or 5 strong, well-spaced canes plus trim the laterals thereof. Plants generally perform best when staked.
You can find more growing details here.
5 Reasons To Grow Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries
1. They produce over a long period. Most of the growing guides say a 4-5 week harvest, which is a couple weeks longer than many berries, but our plants produce almost 2 months! Of that, 4 weeks is the “main” harvest with large bowls filled every 2-4 days. After that, they keep producing smaller bowls full of fruit as the berries continue to ripen.
In the photo above you can see the berries that have been picked, those that are ready to be picked now, redder berries to the right that will ripen in a week and even green berries that will ripen in a couple weeks.
2. They are easy to pick. Uh, obviously since “thornless” in is their name. But if you’ve grown up picking any berries at all, you will realize the absolute joy it is to see the “perfect” berry hanging just out of reachā¦but then stick your hand in there anyway because – no thorns. There are no out-of-reach berries here!
3. They are compact and easy to maintain. The canes are very sturdy and when you get long canes in early spring and again in mid-summer (that don’t have fruit on them), like the canes in the photo above, you just cut them back to the height of the other canes (tip-pruning). In spring, these then grow lateral shoots, making a compact berry ‘bush.’ This makes them perfect for smaller backyards – you could even grown them next to a house.
These canes never get out-of-control like some other vining berry canes we know and love:
These are our Marionberry plants, a berry that is pretty much an Oregon legend. They have a complex flavor that I’ve always thought no other berry could come close to – until Triple Crown came into our lives. And Marionberry’s super-thorny, really long vines need a lot more attention – and I always end up scratched. I still love Marionberries and since they produce in June, they help us harvest blackberries all summer, but if we ever have a smaller space, I won’t be able to grow them anymore.
4. The berries can grow HUGE. The plants produce all sizes of berries, but some are just gigantic, like the bottom berry above. One end of our row gets more water than the other end, so the berries more adequately watered are consistently bigger. And let me tell you, finding – and eating – a berry that size never gets old.
5. They are super flavorful. Like I mentioned, I didn’t think any berry could compare to Marionberries, but the taste of these berries are amazing. The firmer berries can be sweet-tart, while the older berries that are just starting to turn “dull” are more fully sweet, but we like them all. There’s a lot of depth to the flavor and everyone we’ve shared them with (and that’s a lot, because I love to tell everyone about these!) thinks the same. Trust me on this.
I’ll leave off with this photo taken in early August:
All the stages of berries are illustrated here, from flower to already harvested. This mean weeks of delicious, huge, easy-to-pick berries are in your future – if you plant them.
So guess what I want you to do?
(Tip: the deals on Amazon are pretty good, actually – I bought ours online and they did great. You just want to make sure there is a money-back guarantee if they don’t make it the first few months)
Tell me – who else grows these berries? Do you like them as much as we do?
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and by clicking on them you help support AOC at no extra cost to you ā thanks so much! Plus you can trust I’ll only share what I love. (You can always read our entire disclosure page here.)
We planted one of these 3 years ago and it truly lives up to any claims made on it. Unlimited number of huge sweet berries for a long time. For quite a few weeks my wife was picking 50-100 berries per day, FROM ONE PLANT!
Our home is about 20 miles north of Denver Colorado, zone 4, but this berry has done extremely well here. It is planted on the west side fence on a trellis, kind of a wet area although our climate is dry most of the time. Because our backyard is ono North side of house, sunlight can be an issue some parts of the year, but this blackberry and some roses get plenty of sun to bloom and produce.
As stated, cut back any fast growing branches, you can tell the ones by the fast growth and lack of flowers. I keep ours cut back and it is only about 5 feet high and 8 feet wide. Great producer!
Thank you so much, Dennis, for the details of where and how your berry plant is growing and producing so well – I know that will help others in your zone. I wondered, too, how they’d do in a colder zone. I’m so glad to know it does well!
My TC berries look sunburned on the tip of the berry and inside is a hard core, like a big seed…what is wrong?
I’m sorry, Trudi, I don’t know what’s causing that. Can you ask your local extension agency? Wondering if it’s weather-caused or something.
Just wondering when is the ideal time to plant? It is already mid July, so not sure if I can plant now to be able to harvest next summer, or if I should wait until spring. I live in Kentucky in USDA growing region 6b if that makes a difference. Grew up in California picking blackberries every summer and I miss it (minus the thorns)!
I wouldn’t plant now, but if you can get your hands on plants in the fall, I’d plant then to see if you can get a harvest next year. Plant after your weather cools a bit, but before your first frost – many times fall is the best time to plant, as the rains will help establish the plants before the next season. I think you will love these!
I have been growing Triple Crown blackberries near the shore of the Chesapeake Bay for the past three years. They have been exactly as you describe: vigorous, abundant, and delicious. (Very large, too!).
I’m so glad to know they grow there, too! I hope more people start growing these – they are so easy to grow and pick and they taste amazing. š
I just wanted to let you in on a wonderful site to order any kind of berry bush…www.backyardberryplants.com. They are a small family owned business specializing in berries and a few fruit trees. They are certified organic and gmo-free. I donāt buy from the normal everyday, well known seed companies anymore as they are all in Monsantoās pockets now. Iāve purchased my strawberries, blueberry bushes and raspberries from BYBP and am about to order Natchez blackberry plants (similar to TC) from them…hence finding this blog in my research. Itās always nice to find a mom-and-pop business to support. Oh and if you google backyard berry plants reviews you will see not a single negative review. All are raving about this company. š
Thanks for sharing, Janelle – it’s so good to have another source to check out like this.
Thanks for all the great info!
Looking forward to more info for growing the Triple-Crown in zones 6a & 6b (Spokane, WA) Thanks …
Do Triple crown berries totally shed their leaves in the fall or are they like some of the others that keep quite a few leaves that are then pushed off by the new growth in the spring?
I am trying to replace a wild berry hedge that has kept me from seeing the neighbors and enjoying their cigarette smoke : )
They mostly shed the leaves through fall and winter, Lorna, so I don’t think they would work well for the hedge you need. š
Thanks for the update. I might just hang a tarp in the winter if I need it : )
I just bought some triple crown blackeberries from Burpee, and I am really excited about them! I plan on pruning them, will they need to be trellised, or can I do without?
How much of a yield do you get per plant?
Thanks!
Mark
They don’t need trellising in the traditional manner, Mark, but I found that making a ‘box’ out of wire and 4 metal poles at about 4-ft. high helped keep the longer stalks off the ground when loaded with fruit.
I didn’t weight my harvest for a standard yield number, but my 3 plants produced bowl after bowl for months. I was able to freeze 20 quart baggies full, make jam, and eat a ton fresh.
Great! I put them in square raised beds, so the idea of a square trellis is perfect!
I planted 5, so I think we are going to have a LOT of blackberries in a few years:)
Yes you are, lucky you!
How long did they take to come up after planting? I bought bare root plants.
I planted bare root plants in early spring (I think March) and 2 of them grew within a few months. One didn’t and I had to send for a replacement, which then grew. You should see new canes within a few months, if not sooner.
Where can you purchase these berries? Any particular website?
I linked to Amazon in the article (click the highlighted name), which has a good price. I think I bought mine from Gurneys on a catalog coupon special: https://www.gurneys.com/product/triple_crown_blackberry
As you can guess, I don’t think you’ll be sorry buying these. š
Hi Jami,
What kind of fertilizer did you use? Also, how often do you fertilize it?
I actually bought one at a nursery here and It’s ready to be planted.
I actually only use a compost from a local center called “barnyard garden compost” for almost all of our fruits and vegetables (it’s a basic compost with animal manure added). Mix some into the planting hole and then layer on the soil. Every year after, give it a good inch layer every spring – that’s all I’ve ever done and they’ve thrived.
I have had three Triple crowns for a couple of years. Last spring i planted 25 more. They are great.
Wow, you’re going to have a lot of berries!
Jami,
I planted three of these in my garden in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago (zone5a) last year and they are doing great! This is the first year I got berries and they are very big! I didn’t know about tip pruning and since I have been busy this summer, I neglected them. The long canes are rooting where they have touched the ground! I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but figured I can get more plants this way. Hopefully, they will be as prolific as the parent plants!
So good to know they are doing well in your zone, Paul! I haven’t had any long canes to tip-root, but I did find a lower cane last spring that had rooted. I dug it carefully and passed it on to my sister. I’m pretty sure tip-rooting produces true, but we’ll find out I guess. š
I just purchased two triple crown blackberry bushes. Can I plant them now in the fall or should I keep them inside until spring?
Yes, fall is a great time to plant most things Denise – they have time to get fully watered and develop roots before next summer.
Thanks Jami for your insight. Love your website
Thank you, Jean!
So, silly me, I just planted two blackberry bushes this year for the first time and they are already huge but they are not the kind you suggest. Will have to see if they are thornless or not. How is the best way you support them as I need to do something? It looks like you just stuck a metal fence pole there and tied them up? Any suggestions? Thanks and I always enjoy your blog. I am in the Midwest, Indiana.
Oh, any blackberry is better than none, Jean. š
We did just use the metal fence stakes and wire, but all the ‘experts’ say to use large 4×4 wood posts with a 2×4 at the top to make a “T” and then string wire from each side of it (you can find directions by googling it). Our system could be better for the more vining types, but for the upright thornless varieties like this, it’s just fine!
PERFECT TIMING, Jami
We are going to plant blackberries next season. These look perfect!!
Where did you purchase yours? We are located in Roseburg, Oregon (zone 8, I think).
We’re thinking about starting a U-Pick on our farm. How long does it take before you have a good crop with these berries?
I also printed off your Berry Crisps with Big Crumb Topping ~ YUM, YUM…. my mouth is watering.
Thanks Jami for all your wonderful posts – I enjoy all of them and always look forward to each one.
Hope you can help me with my questions.
Bobbie
Oh, wonderful, Bobbie, I’m so glad!
I bought mine online, though I’ve since had readers tell me they’ve seen them in nurseries. I wonder if you could call around? I did link to purchase through Amazon and I’m trying to remember where I bought mine exactly…I think it was Stark Brothers.
Hope that helps!
Wow. You got me droolin’ for those gigantor berries!! Thanks for all the tips. Maybe I’ll rick out a few dahlias and grow these mamas instead!
Do! I dare you. š
hahahaha! Um, how late do you think I can plant them? I’m still waiting….for my newest dahlias! Maybe the berries would be a better item all around in that border garden space (for the bees, family’s and me’s). š
We grow these berries at our farm but they’re struggling to make it because we don’t live there and can’t take care of them like we should.
I also have a small plant nursery at our house and they’re the only blackberry I grow and sell. Buyers are amazed when they see the huge ripe berries on the potted plants! They are indeed very good and very tasty.
I knew I couldn’t be the only one, Sharon! I hope the ones at your farm make it.
we have these berries and we are in Ontario Canada. we have them growing on the west side of the garage and they are so plentiful, i am giving berries away. did not know about trimming back the long canes. have advised hubby for future trimming needs. thanks.
Oh, good – I thought they’d grow well next to a wall. š