Pygmy Caragana vs Illini Hardy Blackberry
Caragana pygmaea
Rubus fruticosus Illini Hardy
ONLY AVAILABLE BY CONTRACT GROW
NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON
Pygmy Caragana is a shrub that is related to Common Caragana and has a compact size that is suitable for yards with limited space. Its size is perfect for landscaping and decorative hedges, and requires little maintenance. This nitrogen fixer has fine-textured foliage and small yellow flowers. Much like Common Caragana, it is hardy and drought tolerant.
Popular as a low maintenance commercial landscaping shrub and for hedging. This species does have tiny spines that might poke you a bit. It has a nice appealing texture when mature.
Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Pygmy Caragana seeds at SeedTime.ca.
The Illini Hardy Blackberry was developed in Illinois for northern growers, and produces a large, juicy blackberry with medium-sweet flavor. The berries are ready for harvest in midsummer, and go great in preserves.
The Illini Hardy Blackberry, or the Illinois Blackberry, are 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.