Killarney Raspberry vs Balsors Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Killarney Raspberry vs Balsors Blackberry

Rubus fruticosus Balsors

Rubus x Killarney

Balsors Blackberry
Killarney Raspberry

Balsors Blackberry is a cold-hardy variety that produces very large, sweet and juicy blackberries late in the summer. They are great for baking and fresh eating.

Balsors Blackberry is a floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Killarney Raspberry is extremely robust, with some of the best cold and disease resistance available. This could be due, in part, to it being bred in Manitoba.

It is also known for its good flavor and for being firmer than other varieties, which lends to its use in processing like pies, jams, and jellies or for U-Picks.

Killarney Raspberry is a floricane-fruiting variety, meaning it primarily produces fruit on second-year canes (previous season’s new growth). They are also referred to as summer-bearing. In late winter or early spring, cut back all spent floricanes, leaving only last season's canes.

Raspberries are self-fertile, meaning they do not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.

Balsors Blackberry Quick Facts

Killarney Raspberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Bark: has thorns
Berries: black
Berries: large, tasty raspberries
Fruit size: large
Firmness: soft
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: August
Harvest: early-mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: balsors hardy blackberry, illinois blackberry