is this a blackberry bush?

[russell]

Hi

I was sold this plant as a 'thornless blackberry bush'. My dad reckons it's not one but I don't know.
Can any one help?

Thanks

[blue411]

Ive no idea but im sure some one with loads more experience will be along shortly.

[Capsid]

Almost certainly not a blackberry.

[Hilary B]

There are some thornless blackberries with leaves like that, but looks more like a loganberry to me.....

[daylily]

There are lobed leaved blackberries, etc., but those I have seen are very different.

[FB.]

It could well be one of the thornless varietes.
I have one. I think mine is called "Oregon Thornless".
Anyway, it has no thorns and decorative leaves. The fruits are almost identical to other blackberries, but perhaps not quite so good tasting.

[FB.]

Having just run a search, many websites incorrectly show regular blackberry leaves in their pictures for thornless varieties.
The following link is the first one that I found that shows the correct leaf type of the thornless varieties. I hope that I am not considered to be spamming or advertising - I have never heard of the website in the link.

Blackberry Oregon Thornless - picture

FB

[Alison]

Don't know about it being a thornless variety but do know that it looks nothing like the thorned version I have out the back!

[Capsid]

Having just run a search, many websites incorrectly show regular blackberry leaves in their pictures for thornless varieties.
The following link is the first one that I found that shows the correct leaf type of the thornless varieties. I hope that I am not considered to be spamming or advertising - I have never heard of the website in the link.

Blackberry Oregon Thornless - picture

FB

My thornless variety has a normal pattern, hence my initial doubt, but now it does look like the one you showed.

[vicky]

My mum has a thornless one with exactly the same leaf shape!
However, it must be an F1 as all it's babies have been thorny ones

[russell]

WOW!!

Thanks guys - thought I was going mad. Will have to see if we get some blackberries next year.

Waht's best for this plant? Stake it against a fence a let it do it's own thing?

[FB.]

My mum has a thornless one with exactly the same leaf shape!
However, it must be an F1 as all it's babies have been thorny ones

Thinking about the genetics......(not that I know the details of blackberry genetics, but I'll take an educated guess)......

I suppose that the thorny one's have a "thorny" gene on both chromosomes of their set.
But probably a few blackberries "carry" the thornless gene. Perhaps that thornless gene also affects leaf shape, or the genes are closely linked (that'd explain the weird leaves).
If two carriers of thornless (but not showing the mutation) come together, there'd be a 1/4 chance of their offspring having no thorns, while many others of their offspring would be carriers of thornless.
A thornless one crossed with thorny one's would result in the thornless gene of each offspring being dominated by the thorny gene from the thorny parent - so all F1 would be thorny, but would carry the gene for thornless.
The F2 would probably give 1/4 thornless offspring.

That's my guess.

FB

[vicky]

They are not as rampant as thorny blackberries so grow well restrained in a fan shape against a fence (plus it's easier to pick)! The one I know of grows rather fetchingly over a rose arch!

[daylily]

I know nothing about the genetics of blackburries, one thing I know though, that there are thornless ones with different leaf shapes. Just on our lottie site we have 3-4 types, including 'normal' leaf shape, these are somewhat rougher, but you can stroke them...

[shushkin!]

Merton Thornless

Hi

I was sold this plant as a 'thornless blackberry bush'. My dad reckons it's not one but I don't know.
Can any one help?

Thanks

My merton thornless plant has leaves like this. I only bought it a month ago and its a first for me to. I do hope it is a blackberry after all that!