Blackberries
Blackberries are the leading crop of the fruit breeding program. The program emphasis on unique traits including flavor and sweetness, firmness, thornlessness, primocane fruiting and dwarfism have resulted in our genetics being used around the world.
Varieties Developed
$1.48M
2020 Blackberry Royalties
$1.59M
PRIME-ARK® 45 ROYALTIES SINCE 2009
Have a Questions About Blackberries in Arkansas?
If you’d like to learn more about our blackberry varieties and how to grow them, please visit our partners at the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Want to know where you can buy these varieties? Here’s a list of our licensed propagators for the Arkansas Fruit Breeding Program.
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate
Released in 2023. Sweet-Ark® ImmaculateTM is a thornless, floricane-fruiting blackberry that offers medium to large berries that have been shown to hold up well after harvest. Floricane varieties produce flowers and fruit on second year canes. It demonstrates a step forward for blackberry firmness, which aids in holding up well during storage and shipping.
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate Flyer
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Horizon
Released in 2020. Prime-Ark® Horizon is a primocane-fruiting variety with very high yield potential, particularly on floricanes. Berries are large and firm, with postharvest potential similar to Prime-Ark® 45. It has good flavor and retain excellent firmness in storage, with limited leakage and decay.
Sweet-Ark™ Ponca
Released in 2019. High-yielding thornless, erect canes with medium-sized fruit with enhanced sweetness and good post-harvest handling traits. Sweet-Ark™ Ponca is the sweetest cultivar released to date. A commercial cultivar with good potential as an early-market berry for shipping, local market production and home garden use.
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo
Released in 2018. High-yielding thornless, erect canes with medium-large fruit that are sweet with very good fruit flavor. A commercial cultivar with good potential for local market production and home garden use.
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo Release Flyer
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Traveler
Released in 2016. Primocane-fruiting, thornless, erect canes. Fruit is medium-large size with good flavor and good potential for shipping and postharvest storage.
Prime-Ark® Traveler HortSci Article
Prime-Ark® Traveler Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Freedom
Released in 2014. The world’s first commercially released, thornless primocane-fruiting blackberry. Intended for the home garden or local market. Very large, elongated, attractive fruit with a routinely sweet flavor.
Prime-Ark® Freedom HortSci Article
Prime-Ark® FreedomYoutube Video
Osage
Released in 2013. Thornless, erect canes which produce very sweet, medium-sized berries with excellent flavor and postharvest quality for the shipping and local markets.
Prime-Ark® 45
Released in 2011. Primocane fruiting, thorny, erect canes. Mildly sweet fruit with high flavor ratings. Recommended for commercial shipping due to its good postharvest potential.
Natchez
Released in 2007. Natchez is an exceptional berry in many ways. With attractive, large berries, Natchez is thornless, high-yielding, high-quality and ripens early, prior to Ouachita. It offers both commercial and local market shipping quality.
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate
Released in 2023. Sweet-Ark® ImmaculateTM is a thornless, floricane-fruiting blackberry that offers medium to large berries that have been shown to hold up well after harvest. Floricane varieties produce flowers and fruit on second year canes. It demonstrates a step forward for blackberry firmness, which aids in holding up well during storage and shipping.
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate Flyer
Sweet-Ark® Immaculate Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Horizon
Released in 2020. Prime-Ark® Horizon is a primocane-fruiting variety with very high yield potential, particularly on floricanes. Berries are large and firm, with postharvest potential similar to Prime-Ark® 45. It has good flavor and retain excellent firmness in storage, with limited leakage and decay.
Sweet-Ark™ Ponca
Released in 2019. High-yielding thornless, erect canes with medium-sized fruit with enhanced sweetness and good post-harvest handling traits. Sweet-Ark™ Ponca is the sweetest cultivar released to date. A commercial cultivar with good potential as an early-market berry for shipping, local market production and home garden use.
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo
Released in 2018. High-yielding thornless, erect canes with medium-large fruit that are sweet with very good fruit flavor. A commercial cultivar with good potential for local market production and home garden use.
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo Release Flyer
Sweet-Ark™ Caddo Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Traveler
Released in 2016. Primocane-fruiting, thornless, erect canes. Fruit is medium-large size with good flavor and good potential for shipping and postharvest storage.
Prime-Ark Traveler HortSci Article
Prime-Ark Traveler Youtube Video
Prime-Ark® Freedom
Released in 2014. The world’s first commercially released, thornless primocane-fruiting blackberry. Intended for the home garden or local market. Very large, elongated, attractive fruit with a routinely sweet flavor.
Prime-Ark® Freedom HortSci Article
Prime-Ark® FreedomYoutube Video
Osage
Released in 2013. Thornless, erect canes which produce very sweet, medium-sized berries with excellent flavor and postharvest quality for the shipping and local markets.
Prime-Ark® 45
Released in 2011. Primocane fruiting, thorny, erect canes. Mildly sweet fruit with high flavor ratings. Recommended for commercial shipping due to its good postharvest potential.
Natchez
Released in 2007. Natchez is an exceptional berry in many ways. With attractive, large berries, Natchez is thornless, high-yielding, high-quality and ripens early, prior to Ouachita. It offers both commercial and local market shipping quality.