Between blackberry and raspberry lies a whole world of aromatic crosses that hardly anyone knows. The best known are the tayberry and the loganberry, two blackberry-raspberry hybrids that combine the best of both parents: the strong, long canes and the robustness of the blackberry, plus the fine, aromatic flesh of the raspberry. The result is large, elongated, dark-red fruits with a flavour that delights connoisseurs.
In the shops you almost never find these berries, because they are too tender and grow in niches. For the home garden, though, they are an insider tip: productive, robust and a class of their own in flavour. This article introduces the two hybrids and shows how to plant, support and prune them.
Two hybrids compared
Tayberry and loganberry are closely related but differ in origin and fruit. Both are a good entry into the world of Rubus hybrids, which is far more varied than the classic choice of blackberry and raspberry.
Tayberry and loganberry
- Tayberry
A Scottish breed from the 1970s. It bears large, elongated, dark-red fruits with a full, sweet-sour aroma and is considered especially tasty and productive.
- Loganberry
The older of the two, arisen by chance in California. Its fruits are wine-red, elongated and pleasantly sour, ideal for juice, jelly and cake.
- Thorny or thornless
Of both there are thornless varieties that make harvesting and care much more pleasant. Whoever has the choice goes for the thornless variant.
- Robust and productive
Both are more robust and less disease-prone than many raspberries and reliably bear large amounts of aromatic fruit.
Site and support
Like their parents, the hybrids want a sunny to part-shaded spot with humus-rich, not too dry soil. In full sun the fruits turn sweetest. Unlike compact raspberries, though, tayberry and loganberry form long, flexible canes that can reach several metres. Without support that quickly becomes an impenetrable tangle.
So a support is needed like with the blackberry: a trellis of posts with tensioned wires, on which you tie in the canes and train them fan-shaped. That way all canes get light and air, the fruits ripen evenly and harvesting is easy. How to train and prune blackberries and their relatives on a trellis is covered in detail in Growing thornless blackberries.
Pruning by the blackberry principle
Pruning tayberry and loganberry follows the same principle as blackberries and summer raspberries: they bear on the previous year's canes. A cane grows in one year, overwinters and bears fruit the following summer. After that it dies and is replaced by new canes.
Distinguish two cane years
In summer recognise the bearing canes from last year and the fresh new canes of the current year. Only the new ones bear next year.
Tie in new canes
Train the young canes loosely on the trellis during the season, separate from the bearing ones. That way you keep the overview and the canes stay unharmed.
Remove spent canes
After the harvest cut out the spent canes at ground level. They do not bear again and would only cost space and strength.
Thin for winter
Leave only the strongest new canes and tie them in. Weak and surplus canes come off, which gives larger fruit next year.
Because the canes of the hybrids grow very long, a generous trellis is worthwhile. Whoever consistently separates the new canes from the bearing ones has a much easier time cutting out the spent canes and avoids the thorny chaos that bramble plants otherwise like to form.
Size and robustness of the blackberry, aroma of the raspberry: tayberry and loganberry combine the best of both worlds. An insider tip that exists only fresh from your own trellis.
The core idea for the Rubus hybrids
Frequently asked questions
What is a tayberry?
A cross of blackberry and raspberry, bred in Scotland in the 1970s. It bears large, elongated, dark-red fruits with a full, sweet-sour aroma and combines the robustness of the blackberry with the flavour of the raspberry.
What is the difference between tayberry and loganberry?
Both are blackberry-raspberry hybrids. The loganberry is older and arose by chance in California, its fruits are wine-red and sour. The tayberry is a later Scottish breed with larger, sweeter fruits. Both need the same care.
Do tayberry and loganberry need a support?
Yes, absolutely. They form long, flexible canes like blackberries that reach several metres. A trellis of posts with tensioned wires, on which you train the canes, is a must for a good harvest and easy care.
How do you prune tayberry and loganberry?
By the blackberry principle: they bear on the previous year's canes. After the harvest you cut out the spent canes at ground level and tie in the strongest new canes for next year. That keeps the plant healthy and productive.
Why are these berries not in the supermarket?
Because fully ripe they are very soft and pressure-sensitive and hardly transport. They are also grown commercially only a little. Their full, intense flavour you therefore experience almost only with your own plant in the garden.
