Prime-Ark® Freedom Primocane Blackberry Plant

Prime-Ark® Freedom is the blackberry that solves two problems at once — it’s both thornless AND primocane-bearing, a combination that’s genuinely rare and genuinely valuable. Thornless canes mean comfortable, scratch-free harvesting with no protective gear required. Primocane (everbearing) habit means the first-year canes start bearing in July and continue through frost, while the second-year canes deliver their heaviest crops in June — producing a long, overlapping harvest season from early summer through fall frost with large, firm, sweet, extra-large berries throughout. Drought tolerant, disease-resistant to rust, upright, self-pollinating, and cold-hardy in Zones 5–9.

May be covered by USPP #26990 or other patents. APF-153T cultivar.

Thornless AND Primocane — Two Rare Qualities in One Plant

Most thornless blackberry varieties are floricane-bearing only — they produce one crop per year on second-year wood. Most everbearing primocane blackberries have thorns. Prime-Ark® Freedom combines both advantages: thornless canes that make the entire growing and harvesting experience comfortable and scratch-free, and primocane fruiting that delivers the extended season that makes growing blackberries genuinely rewarding from midsummer through frost.

Two Crops per Season — June and July Through Frost

The harvest calendar for Prime-Ark® Freedom delivers berries across the longest possible window. Second-year canes bear their heaviest crops in June — an abundant early-summer harvest. First-year primocanes begin ripening in July and continue producing through frost — extending the fresh blackberry season well into fall. Both crops produce the same large, firm, sweet, extra-large berries that make Prime-Ark® Freedom such a consistent performer.

Upright, Drought Tolerant, Disease-Resistant

Prime-Ark® Freedom’s upright cane habit makes it self-supporting and easy to manage with or without a trellis, well-suited to garden rows and landscape borders alike. Drought tolerance once established reduces watering demands, and intermediate resistance to rust keeps the plants healthier with less intervention through the growing season.

Why Growers Choose Prime-Ark® Freedom

• Thornless AND primocane-bearing — a rare combination that solves two common blackberry frustrations
• Two crops per season — June second-year harvest plus July–frost first-year harvest
• Large, firm, sweet, extra-large berries — premium blackberry quality throughout
• Upright self-supporting canes — easy to manage without a trellis
• Drought tolerant and rust resistant — low-maintenance once established
• Self-pollinating — productive with just one planting