Kiowa Blackberry Plant
Description
The world’s biggest blackberry — up to 3" long! This thorny variety blooms earlier and longer than others. Fruit is large enough to make fresh cobbler with just a few berries. Also great for juice or wine. Summer-bearing floricane. Early season. Ripens in early June. Self-pollinating.
Survival Guaranteed!
Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.
Characteristics
| Bloom Color | Pink, White |
| Fruit Color | Black |
| Fruit Size | Extra Large |
| Hardiness Zone Range | 5 - 8 |
| Pollination | Self-Pollinating |
| Ripens/Harvest | Early June |
| Shade/Sun | Full Sun |
| Soil Composition | Loamy |
| Soil Moisture | Well Drained |
| Soil pH Level | 6.0 - 6.8 |
| Taste | Sweet |
| Texture | Firm |
| Years to Bear | 1 - 2 |
Size & Spacing
Mature Size
Recommended Spacing
Zone Compatibility
Pollination
This variety is self pollinating.
Tools & Supplies
Planting & Care
Learn all about how to grow blackberry plants in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.
Shipping Information
Arrives when it's time to plant
Questions & Answers
Apache
The Kiowas turn black well before they are ripe. You need to wait until they soften before they are sweet. I was doing the same thing, until I realized they take a long time to ripen.
Yes. Kiowas aren't bushes, they're erect canes. To put out better crops, top the main cane at 5-6 feet, then allow the laterals that will grow to reach about 2 feet long. Your plants will produce very well.
Thank you for your question. The key is "light dusting." Don't overfertilize. Just a little 10-10-10, or better yet, we have a fertilizer formula made just for blackberries:
http://www.starkbros.com/products/tools-and-supplies/soil-additives/stark-blackberry-and-bramble-fertilizer
It's hard to say when your canes will reach 5'. It depends a great deal upon your soil, what you feed it, how much sun it gets, etc. They could get that tall in a year.
A Jumbo Cell Pack is a bigger version of the divided 6-packs in which you might have bought annuals or vegetable plants in at a garden center. These one-year-old plants are new starts - about 4-6" tall - and will grow rapidly during the next growing season.
I plant mine 6 inches from the fence. They stay in a clump which just gets bigger around, they are not like a raspberry which sends runners all over the place and you are always cutting them out or digging out somewhere.
I have mine planted against a concrete block wall and they get 10-12 hours sun during the summer. I water a lot in Albuquerque NM so they grew extremely well and I love them.
These berries grow largest in morning sun with plenty of moisture. If they get too hot of afternoon sun they won't grow to their largest size. They also respond best with high organic matter.
If in the south now if not wait for your trees to bud green. Loves these have wild growing along fence line but these are like 3 times the size for the wild ones! Buds are coming in now on wild an Kiowa live in Florida!
Thank you for your question. Kiowa is a summer-bearing floricane vs. a trailing vine. The fruit is enormous!
Customer Reviews
And we want to start with fruits.
Wanted a large berry.
Huge Blackberry
big berry