Souris Raspberry (an improved Boyne Raspberry) vs Chester Thornless Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Souris Raspberry (an improved Boyne Raspberry) vs Chester Thornless Blackberry

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

Rubus x Souris

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Chester Thornless Blackberry
Souris Raspberry (an improved Boyne Raspberry)

Chester Thornless Blackberry is a self-pollinating fruit-bearing shrub. In mid-summer, the Chester Thornless Blackberry produces large, sweet-tasting, heart-shaped blackberries that are perfect for fresh eating. It is a semi-erect blackberry plant that requires little support from a trellis to keep its fruit off the ground. Don't forget to protect your berries. The birds love this shrub almost as much as you will.

Chester Thornless Blackberries are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth.

Souris is an improved version of Boyne, the classic prairie raspberry. It is planted all across Canada and is extremely robust. Where other raspberry cultivars rely on unique selling points and specializations, Souris is just generally a great raspberry.

Souris is cold hardy and resistant to disease and spider mites. Its berries are deliciously sweet and tart while colourful, great for U-pick operations, fresh eating, or using in products such as jams and pies. They can be a bit softer than other raspberry varieties.

The Souris Raspberry is a fast-growing floricane. This means that raspberries will not grow on canes the year they first grow. The mature canes they do grow on, however, produce more berries than primocane varieties.

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

Souris Raspberry (an improved Boyne Raspberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: high
Maintenance: high


Flowers: pink
Berries: heart shaped black
Berries: red raspberries
Firmness: firm
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry