Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Coho Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Chester Thornless Blackberry vs Coho Raspberry

Rubus idaeus Coho

Rubus fruticosa Chester (Thornless)

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Coho Raspberry
Chester Thornless Blackberry

Coho Raspberry is a high-yielding raspberry that is known for having large, very firm berries. They are bright red with a great flavour. Their firmness allows for easy picking and makes them well suited for freezing. They are one of the last raspberries to ripen, allowing for fresh berries later in the season.

They are named after the Coho Salmon which are known for their bright red colouring and late spawning runs.

The Coho Raspberry is a fast-growing floricane. This means that raspberries will not grow on canes the year they first grow. The mature canes they do grow on, however, produce more berries than primocane varieties.

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.

Coho Raspberry Quick Facts

Chester Thornless Blackberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3b
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: high


Flowers: white
Flowers: pink
Berries: large, bright red
Berries: heart shaped black
Firmness: very firm
Firmness: firm
Harvest: late July into August
Harvest: July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: chester blackberry, hardy blackberry