Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Jewel Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Jewel Raspberry

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

Rubus x Jewel

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Chester Thornless Blackberry
Jewel 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.

The Jewel Raspberry is one of the most popular black raspberry varieties, as it is consistently high-yielding and produces large, firm, and sweet berries. This cultivar is among one of the first raspberries to ripen each year, with berries ready for harvest in early to mid summer and is a vigorous grower.

The Jewel Raspberry is self-pollinating, and is a primocane variety meaning that it produces fruit on first years' growth. Prune stalks down each winter or early spring to get higher fruit yields and easier harvesting.

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

Jewel Raspberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 4b
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 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: medium


Flowers: pink
Berries: heart shaped black
Berries: black, large
Firmness: firm
Firmness: firm
Harvest: July
Harvest: August
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry
Other Names: jewel black raspberry