It is always exciting when the berries begin to bloom. There is almost nothing that can rival the taste of berries fresh off the bush. Unfortunately they are so tasty that none ever make it to being frozen or dried for winter consumption.
The tastiest berry on the planet is the marionberry. It is like a blackberry on steroids. Huge berries that are more juice than seed, with a complex taste of blackberries and raspberries combined. They don’t have any bitterness in them like blackberries, though.
Black Raspberry, Marionberry, Red Raspbery, which would you choose?
Marionberries are easy to grow, maybe too easy, actually, as they will tip off at the drop of a hat (or cane as the case may be). They were bread in Oregon and do well there.
In the south they prefer to get some shade in the hottest part of the day. They take a beating during a very severe winter. However, it is almost impossible to kill the roots, so they’ll be back, you’ll just have a light harvest after a hard winter.
They aren’t a plant you want to put in the cultivated portion of your yard, as they are wild and crazy growers with canes that can reach 20’ long! So, put them in the back forty, put a cane growing fence around them to contain them some and then wait for the luscious berries to appear on the second year growth. Once the cane has produced fruit it won’t again, so cut it down and compost it, to encourage new growth for the following year.
