Boysenberry

The boysenberry (Rubus ursinus x Rubus idaeus) is a blackberry and raspberry cross that produces big, soft, deep purple fruit with a richer flavour than either parent. It is a rambling cane fruit rather than a bush, reaching about 2m long and 1.5m wide once trained onto a trellis or a run of wires.

Why you'll love it

• Fruit you cannot easily buy. Boysenberries bruise in transit, so they rarely reach a supermarket shelf in good condition. Picked at home they are a different thing entirely.
• It crops early in life. Fast growing canes made in the first season carry the first real crop the following summer, which is quick for a fruiting plant.
• Frost hardy and heat tolerant. It grows in cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens, so most of the country can have a go.
• Good for pollinators. White and pink blossom feeds bees and butterflies in spring, before the fruit sets.

Where it works best

Small gardens and fence lines. One plant covers roughly 1.5m of wire or fence, so a narrow strip along a side boundary is enough to grow real quantities of fruit.

Pots and containers. A pot of 50L or more with a trellis behind it works on a balcony or courtyard, though potted plants dry out faster and need watering more often.

Feature planting. Trained over an arch or an obelisk it earns its space twice, as a structure in the garden and as a crop.

Growing boysenberry in Australia

Position and climate. Give it at least six hours of sun for a decent crop. It is frost hardy, and winter cold does no harm to dormant canes. In subtropical gardens, a position with morning sun and shelter from harsh afternoon heat protects the fruit as it ripens.

Soil. Deep, rich, free draining soil with plenty of compost dug through. Mulch heavily to keep the surface roots cool and the moisture even, but keep the mulch off the crown.

Water and feed. Steady water while the fruit is swelling makes the difference between small dry berries and large juicy ones. Feed with a complete organic fertiliser in early spring and again after harvest.

Pruning and training. It fruits on canes grown the previous season. Once a cane has finished cropping, cut it out at ground level and tie the new season's canes onto the wires in its place. Do this every year and the plant stays productive and manageable.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, so your plant arrives as a young rooted cane rather than a fruiting plant. Put a support in place before you plant, because retro fitting a trellis around established canes is awkward.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the edible plants range
• How to plan a productive fruit and vegetable garden
• Plants that bring in bees and butterflies
• Plants that grow well in pots

Common questions

Do I need two plants for fruit?

No. Boysenberries are self fertile, so a single plant will crop. A second plant simply gives you more fruit over the same picking window.

When will I get my first berries?

Expect a token pick in the first summer at most, and the first real crop in the second, once the canes grown in year one have matured.

Does it have to be trained on a trellis?

Yes, in any practical sense. Left loose, the canes sprawl, the fruit sits in the dirt and picking becomes a chore, so a simple two wire frame is worth the effort.

Can it handle a hot inland summer?

It is heat tolerant, but fruit quality drops in extreme heat without water. Mulch deeply and water consistently through ripening.