Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Firecracker Goji Berry - TreeTime.ca

Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Firecracker Goji Berry

Lycium barbarum Firecracker

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Firecracker Goji Berry
Chester Thornless Blackberry

The Firecracker Goji Berry is a thornless cultivar of the Goji Berry that is known for its sweet red berries. This deciduous perennial produces purple flowers from June through September, with fruit maturation taking place between August and October. Fruit production typically starts in the second year of growth with maximum production in the fourth and fifth year.

Firecracker Goji Berry berries are delicious, nutrient rich, high in antioxidants, and are often called a super fruit. Many describe the Firecracker as sweeter than other cultivars.

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.

Firecracker Goji Berry Quick Facts

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3b
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: high


Foliage: evergreen
Flowers: purple
Flowers: pink
Fruit: edible
Berries: red
Berries: heart shaped black
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: June - September
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: goji berry firecracker
Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry