Blackberry

Get to know it

A blackberry is a cluster of tiny sections called drupelets, each with its own seed, packed into one juicy mouthful. Oregon’s marionberry brings an earthy edge to its sweet-tart flavour. Firmer varieties from upright plants are commonly grown for the fresh-fruit market.

What it is

Blackberries belong to the rose family, and share the caneberry group with raspberries. The name covers many species and crosses. Each little rounded bump is a section called a drupelet, with a seed inside.

The fruit changes with the plant. Wild Pacific blackberries have oblong fruit only 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) long. Trailing garden varieties tend to have long berries, smaller seeds and a strong aroma. Upright varieties tend to give firmer fruit.

Where it comes from

Wild blackberries grow across Europe, parts of Asia, northwestern Africa and the Americas. Modern garden varieties draw on several of these plants. On North America’s Pacific coast, Rubus ursinus grows from British Columbia to California and inland to Idaho; it is a main ancestor of trailing blackberries.

Oregon grows more blackberries than any other US state. Its Marion variety, sold as the marionberry, takes its name from Marion County.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Britain, apple and blackberry crumble puts the berries beside cooked apples under a crumbly topping of flour, butter and sugar. It comes to the table with custard or cream.

In Oregon, marionberry pie became the state pie in 2017. Smaller berry hand pies wrap a filling of raspberries or blackberries, sugar and a little cornstarch inside folded pastry, with the edges pressed shut by a fork.

How it's grown

Blackberries grow on woody stems called canes, which can stand upright, trail along the ground or fall in between as semi-trailing types. The roots and the base of the plant live for years. On many varieties, a cane grows in its first year, fruits in its second and then dies.

Some newer varieties also fruit on their first year’s growth, giving a second crop in late summer or fall. Prime-Ark Freedom does this on upright, thornless canes.

When and where you'll find it

In South Carolina’s Piedmont, trailing and semi-trailing blackberries usually start ripening in late June. Coastal areas run earlier and mountain areas later. Oregon marionberries usually ripen from early July to early August, reaching local farms and markets fresh. Frozen Oregon berries carry the fruit beyond that short season for baking and jam.

For berries picked at home, a glossy black surface turns slightly dull at full eating ripeness. Prompt refrigeration after picking helps the fruit keep longer.

Sources · 8

Get it near Detroit

What it tastes like

As soft as a grapefruit, as sweet as a kiwifruit≈

Not sweetlemonbananaSweet

MildbananalemonSour

SoftpearappleCrisp

More about the taste

Blackberries bring a seed-textured bite; straining removes that texture. In a crisp they cook down into a jammy filling; strained into a purée, they become smooth for an ice pop.

Sugar and acid levels vary by variety and by harvest date, so one variety can taste noticeably sweeter than another.

Choose, ripen, store, eat

1ChooseSlightly dull, not glossy
Look for
Slightly dull, not glossy
For fruit you pick yourself, look for berries that have turned from glossy black to slightly dull — a ripeness cue. Skip soft, deteriorating berries.
2RipenDoesn’t ripen after picking
Doesn’t ripen after picking
Pick blackberries at eating ripeness and cool them promptly; they don’t improve after picking.
3StoreFridge, picked berries
1. FridgePicked berriesBreathable container, few berries deep
Refrigerate soon after picking in a breathable container, only a few berries deep, so the lower fruit is not crushed.
4EatWhole berries
Eat
Whole berries
Use whole berries in a crisp, or purée and sieve them to remove the seed texture.

More tips

Worth knowing

Protect picked berries from heat and crushing; handling matters more than how many days they've been in the fridge.
The shiniest dark blackberry isn't always the best tasting; ask the grower how to tell ripe ones.
Later, smaller blackberries are higher in sugar but not always better tasting; acidity and variety matter too.

Detroit, Michigan

When it’s good here

Grown hereAug–Sep

Ships from CaliforniaAt their best

26 growing areas, 8 countries

Araucanía
British Columbia
California
Florida
Hawaii
Huelva
Kent
Maule
Michoacán
O'Higgins
Quebec
South Australia
United Kingdom
You

Grows hereIn season nowOther monthsYou

3 of 16 areas · October

111

Growing areas by country

United States13
Canada3
Chile3
Spain2
United Kingdom2
Argentina1
Australia1
Mexico1

and 3 more countries

Some blackberry varieties fruit only on second-year canes; others also crop on first-year growth. Growers combine varieties to extend the harvest, so a long local season can reflect plant choice as much as climate.
South Carolina, United States

139 varieties

See all 139 varieties

26 names in 8 languages

Cook it

Recipes 3

2 blackberry festivals

McLoud Blackberry FestivalJun–JulMcLoud, Oklahoma, United StatesJun–Jul

Powell River Blackberry FestivalAugPowell River, British Columbia, Canada · Organiser ↗Aug

Festivals this month →

Strange but true

If you like Blackberry

Tastes alike

Plumalso juicy

Close relatives

Nutrition, sources

Nutrition

Blackberries, raw · per 100 g

Energy43kcal · 181 kJ

Carbohydrate: 9.6 g
Fiber: 5.3 g
Sugars: 4.9 g
Protein: 1.4 g
Fat: 0.5 g
Vitamin C: 21 mg
Potassium: 162 mg

Sources

Blackberry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 21, 2026