Catalog
Three University of Arkansas thornless releases, sequenced across the harvest calendar — Natchez to open the season, Osage to fill the gap, Ouachita to carry it. All propagated from virus-indexed mother stock, with cultivar documentation and propagation records in every tray.
Rubus 'Ouachita' — Univ. of Arkansas, 2003
Mid-season. Large fruit (typically 6–7 g), excellent post-harvest firmness, very high yield potential on erect, trellis-optional canes. Among the most-planted blackberries in the Southeast.
Rubus 'Natchez' — Univ. of Arkansas, 2007
Very early season. Exceptionally large fruit on vigorous semi-erect canes — the earliest-ripening thornless release of the Arkansas program. Opens the harvest window for early-market pricing.
Rubus 'Osage' — Univ. of Arkansas, 2012
Mid-early. Round, firm, uniform berries with balanced classic flavor. Compact habit suits high-density plantings and mechanical-harvest programs.
Our pipeline expands through 2027 — Prime-Ark® primocane types, Chester, and additional releases are in protocol development. Tell us what you're planning and we'll sequence it into production.
From the Breeding Program
Our varieties come from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture fruit breeding program — the source of most thornless blackberries grown in the Southeast today. In this video, breeder Dr. John R. Clark introduces 'Ouachita' in the field.
