Natchez Blackberry Shrub

Thornless plants produce high yields of glossy, large, elongated berries in early summer. Sweet berries are perfect for snacking or in jams, jellies and juice. Semi-erect plants exhibit strong disease resistance—making them an excellent choice for home gardeners. Grows 4-5 ft. tall. Blackberry plants, like Natchez Blackberry, produce fruit on floricanes or second-year shoots. When the cane is flowering and bearing fruit, the plant is also producing new first-year shoots or primocanes. At the end of each year, prune out the floricanes, or the branches that flowered and fruited earlier in the year. Blackberries prefer loamy, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, and thrive in a full sun location with six to eight hours of direct sunshine. Their average height and spread varies widely, but in general, you’ll need to place each plant about three to five feet apart if you plan to grow more than one.