Ouachita Thornless Blackberry Plant

Ouachita Thornless Blackberry is an award-winning variety from the University of Arkansas fruit-breeding program — and with 189 reviews and a devoted following at U-pick farms and homesteads across the country, it’s earned every bit of that reputation. Upright, thornless canes make it genuinely easy to plant, maintain, and harvest. Sweet, firm, medium-sized berries ripen in June over a productive 5-week window. Self-pollinating, heat tolerant, and adaptable across Zones 5–9, it’s one of the most versatile and satisfying blackberries you can grow.

Five Weeks of June Harvest — Plump, Sweet, and Easy to Pick

Ouachita’s fruiting window stretches about 5 weeks through June, giving you an extended mid-season harvest that’s far more generous than single-flush varieties. The berries are medium-sized, firm, sweet, and deeply flavorful — outstanding fresh off the cane, excellent frozen, and exceptional in pies, cobblers, and preserves. The upright thornless canes mean every berry is easy to spot and effortless to pick, with no scratches and no tangles.

Disease Resistant, Heat Tolerant, and Widely Adaptable

Ouachita carries resistance to rosette disease — a serious fungal threat to blackberries in the Southeast — and its heat tolerance makes it a standout performer across the South and warmer regions of the country. It’s also been successfully grown across western, midwestern, and northeastern states, making it one of the more geographically flexible thornless blackberry varieties available.

A Natural Fit for Edible Landscaping

The erect, tidy growth habit and thornless canes make Ouachita an exceptional choice for edible landscaping in suburban and urban settings where blackberries need to be beautiful as well as productive. Plant along a fence line, as a fruiting hedge, or in a mixed edible border — it fits where thorned varieties simply can’t.

Why Growers Choose Ouachita

• Award-winning University of Arkansas variety — developed through one of the premier berry breeding programs
• 5-week fruiting window — extended June harvest for more fruit and flexibility
• Upright thornless canes — easy to manage, maintain, and harvest from
• Rosette disease resistant — reliable and healthy across a wide range of conditions
• Heat tolerant — excellent performer in southern and warm climates
• Self-pollinating — fruit with just one planting