Hybrid berries · Rubus hybrids

The 'Loganberry' and the 'Boysenberry'

The first raspberry–blackberry cross and its famous descendant – history, comparison and growing guide

Hybrid berries are crosses between raspberries and blackberries that combine the strengths of both parents. Two of them hold a special place. The 'Loganberry' was the very first significant cross between a blackberry and a raspberry and became the genetic foundation for many later varieties. One of these is the 'Boysenberry', regarded as one of the tastiest berries of all.

Both varieties appeal less to commercial growers today – the 'Loganberry' because harvesting is demanding, the 'Boysenberry' because its berries are too soft to transport. That is exactly why they belong in home gardens, where they can show what they are truly capable of. Here you will find their story, a side-by-side comparison and practical growing advice.

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Family tree and the story of two legends

The 'Loganberry' (Rubus × loganobaccus) is an interspecific hybrid (a hexaploid) between the North American trailing blackberry 'Aughinbaugh' (Rubus ursinus) and the European red raspberry 'Red Antwerp' (Rubus idaeus). The 'Boysenberry' has an even more complex background – it combines the genetics of the European raspberry (Rubus idaeus), the European blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), the American trailing dewberry (Rubus aboriginum) and the 'Loganberry' itself.

At a glance

Although the 'Loganberry' is one of the parents of the 'Boysenberry', these two hybrid berries behave quite differently in the garden:

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The 'Loganberry' up close

The plant

In its growth habit, the plant takes after the blackberry. Instead of upright canes, it produces very long, trailing, flexible canes that can grow 1.5 to 2 metres in a single year. The total annual growth of all the canes on one plant can reach 12 to 15 metres.

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It is a very long-lived, vigorous plant that can crop heavily in the same spot for up to 15 years.

Fruit and flavour

In shape and size the berries resemble a large, elongated blackberry, but they are not black. While ripening they are bright red, and when fully ripe they turn a deep, dark wine-purple. A major advantage over common blackberries is the very small, soft seeds, which barely get in the way when eating.

The flavour combines the aromas of both parents: pleasantly sweet and tangy, refreshing, with a subtle wine-like undertone.

Harvest

A distinctive feature of this variety is very gradual ripening over about two months, from midsummer into autumn. On a single cane you will find flowers alongside green, red and fully ripe purple berries. The fruit is also often hidden beneath large leaves, which is why the 'Loganberry' is rarely grown commercially.

The 'Boysenberry' up close

The plant

The plant has a typically trailing (prostrate) habit. Rather than upright canes like a raspberry, it produces long, flexible canes that creep along the ground. It is a long-lived perennial – with proper care, it will last 15 to 20 years in the same spot.

Fruit and flavour

The fruit is a large aggregate of drupelets weighing around 8 grams on average. As it ripens, it turns a deep, dark maroon. The seeds are medium-sized. The skin is extremely thin and the berries are exceptionally soft – when fully ripe, the slightest pressure releases dark juice that stains readily.

Flavour is the main reason to grow this variety. It is perfectly balanced, sweet and tangy, with a rich, complex profile that combines the aroma of wild raspberries and wild blackberries.

"This is my favourite hybrid berry by far. Neither raspberry nor blackberry dominates – it is practically a completely new fruit."— from our own growing experience

Harvest and shelf life

The variety's greatest weakness is closely tied to its greatest strength. The thin skin and juicy flesh that give it such an outstanding flavour also mean the berries cannot be stored. After picking, they begin to deteriorate and ferment within a few days – often within hours.

Growing both varieties

Position and soil

The 'Loganberry' is less demanding – it tolerates partial shade, although it produces the sweetest fruit in a sunny position with ordinary, well-drained garden soil. The 'Boysenberry' needs direct, full sun and fertile, loamy and above all well-drained soil that is slightly acidic (pH 5.6–6.5). It responds well to nitrogen feeding early in the season and benefits from a mulch of bark or straw, which suppresses weeds and keeps the soil moist.

Support and tying in

Both varieties have trailing canes and cannot be grown without firm support – the canes would lie on the ground and the fruit would rot. They are most often grown on a wire trellis, to which the canes are gradually tied in. The 'Loganberry' can also be fan-trained against a fence or wall. 'Boysenberry' plants are set 60–75 cm apart, with 2.4 to 3 metres left between rows.

Pruning – a two-year cycle

Like most blackberries, both hybrid berries fruit on one-year-old wood – canes that grew the previous year. The full life cycle of each cane therefore spans two years:

Pollination

'Boysenberry' flowers are self-fertile, so it does not need a separate pollinator variety. Bees and bumblebees are nevertheless important for thorough pollination and well-formed berries.

Which one to choose?

If you want a reliable crop without much fuss over plant protection and do not mind picking little and often, go for the 'Loganberry'. If flavour comes first and you can eat or process the berries straight after picking, try the 'Boysenberry'. Since both need the same support and pruning, you can easily grow them side by side and compare their flavour in your own garden.