Arnold Hawthorn vs Chester Thornless Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Arnold Hawthorn vs Chester Thornless Blackberry

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

Crataegus arnoldiana

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Chester Thornless Blackberry
Arnold Hawthorn

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.

Arnold Hawthorn is a low-branched tree favored by wildlife and landscapers. This tree's beautiful white flowers and bright red berries make it an attractive ornamental in anyone's yard. Arnold Hawthorn is also used in windbreaks and riparian planting.

Despite its thorns, Arnold Hawthorn is a popular choice of food and shelter for deer and birds. Humans can also eat these berries fresh or preserved, but Arnold Hawthorn will not have high yields until it matures at 5-8 years.

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

Arnold Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: none


Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: gray to brown
Flowers: pink
Flowers: white
Berries: heart shaped black
Berries: red pomes about 1 cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry