Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry
Description
A unique flavor that has garnered rave reviews! This productive plant yields berries that offer a tasty blend of sweetness and tartness. The fruit is borne uniformly, so it is easy to pick. Thornless semi-erect canes may need support under heavy fruit load. Summer-bearing floricane. Late season. Heat-tolerant. Ripens in early August. Self-pollinating.
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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 issue a one-time merchandise credit to your account equaling 125% of the original product purchase price. Read more about our warranty policy.
Characteristics
| Bloom Color | White |
| Fruit Color | Black |
| Fruit Size | Large |
| Pollination | Self-Pollinating |
| Ripens/Harvest | Early August |
| 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 |
| Zone Range | 5 - 9 |
Zone Compatibility
This Variety's Zone Range
5 - 9
My Hardiness Zone
?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatability range of this variety before ordering.
Size & Spacing
Mature Size
When your plant matures, it will be approximately 4 - 5' tall x 3 - 4' wide.
Recommended Spacing
We recommend spacing these plants 5 - 6' apart to ensure room for growth.
Pollination
This variety is self pollinating.
In many cases, you may still want to plant pollinating partners to increase the size of your crops, but with self-pollinating varieties doing so is optional. You'll get fruit with only one plant!
Tools & Supplies
Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.
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
Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.
Questions & Answers
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Browse 31 questions
Browse 31 questions
and 92 answers
Why did you choose this?
Stark Bro's Store
Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry are incredibly productive, easy to grow and relatively good pest resistance not to mention how incredible they taste.
Randy G
on Apr 7, 2021
replacing some old raspberries with something new.
Deana T
on Mar 31, 2021
Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry are incredibly productive, easy to grow and relatively good pest resistance not to mention how incredible they taste.
Randy G
on Apr 7, 2021
I had some old berry vines that had died and I've always had good luck with this variety. I'm also preparing some additional space for planting more and felt like this selection would be perfect.
Larry W
on Apr 2, 2021
I had some old berry vines that had died and I've always had good luck with this variety. I'm also preparing some additional space for planting more and felt like this selection would be perfect.
Larry W
on Apr 2, 2021
Want to grow my own berries. I???ve heard excellent reviews about the triple crown blackberries, hardy and disease resistant.
Ann R
on Mar 15, 2021
How large are these plants?
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question! Our Jumbo Cell Pack plants will be shipped at 4-6" tall, while the gallon-size container plants will be approximately 12" tall.
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- Brenda H Staff on May 24, 2016
Do they creep if planted in the ground?
BEST ANSWER: This variety sends out lateral branches along the ground. They should be pruned back to 12 inches and they will then run and produce new growth. All varieties of blackberries should be trained to a fence or posts with plenty of air within the leaves. By pruning the laterals to 12 inches you will have a better harvest. Let me explain a bit more. The laterals to be pruned to 12 inches should be the first year. If you have second year vines 4 feet or longer you need to stake these or train to a fence. I use plant Velcro ties to do this. Do not prune huge lengths off your second year vines or you will end up with less harvest. Triple Crown Thornless will stay at ground level, creep and start new rooted shoots if not trained to be upright. Some plants can get as long as 16 feet so you need a lot of space to grow the lateral branches at ground level.
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- TERESA M on Mar 22, 2016
- Purchased on May 5, 2015
My wife and I are having difficulty with several of these purchased over the last several years not producing fruit. The canes are long, strongly, and a nice color with full, dark green leaves coming out at the ends. But, they produce either shriveled, dry small berries or none at all. What we don't understand is how the canes can be so healthy (they are getting a full dose of Texas summer sun), but not result in any harvest. Any suggestions?
BEST ANSWER: You mentioned, "The canes are long, strongly, and a nice color with full, dark green leaves coming out at the ends." This variety is an aggressive grower, and will produce canes several feet long if allowed. For the best quality and fruit production, I have found that after the first year of new growth if I top the canes at 4 feet high in the fall, and prune back the lateral shoots to about 18", come spring they will be loaded with berries. I believe you will get better results if you reign them in a bit. Or, you can let the side shoots grow all summer and cover with dirt every few feet and over-winter them. By spring, the dirt covered spots will have developed roots which you can cut away from the main stem and multiply your blackberry plants! Best of both worlds. Don't be afraid to reign them in with some aggressive pruning.
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- Michael W on Jun 4, 2018
Can the Triple Crown Blackberry variety be container grown?
BEST ANSWER: All my blackberries are in 27 gal containers. (I made 27 gal totes into self watering containers with help from online tutorials.) Use a good quality liquid fertilizer every week after they are established. They drink a lot of water.
I tried smaller containers at first - 5 gal buckets and 18 gal totes. The berries quickly outgrew the 5 gal buckets and never did all that well in the 18 gal totes. Now they are doing great, though not quite as well as those in the ground. You will need bird-netting to keep them from eating all your fruit.
I tried smaller containers at first - 5 gal buckets and 18 gal totes. The berries quickly outgrew the 5 gal buckets and never did all that well in the 18 gal totes. Now they are doing great, though not quite as well as those in the ground. You will need bird-netting to keep them from eating all your fruit.
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- SUSAN D on Mar 24, 2020
- Purchased on Mar 29, 2018
I had a lot of new starters from ends of my berries, will they still produce this year after I cut the ends to plant the starters?
BEST ANSWER: Blackberries produce on second year canes. You can plant the new canes this year and they should produce berries next year.
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- TERESA A on May 11, 2017
- Purchased on Jul 29, 2015
do you need to cover new black berry plants for winter ?
BEST ANSWER: I live in the middle of Montana where winters can vary greatly from large amounts of snow to next to none and from severe cold to mild temperatures. My blackberries are mulched year around, and they are thriving.
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- Bonnie M on Aug 26, 2018
- Purchased on Sep 28, 2016
I bought Triple Crown 2 years ago and the vegetative growth has been tremendous. We enjoyed some tasty sweet blackberries after the first year. I was looking forward to this year since the vines were so huge. We had a lot of berries, however the taste was bitter. We are located in MA and we experienced very low levels of rainfall so perhaps that impacted the flavor. These were not irrigated. I read that perhaps the soil pH is too low as well (mine is around 5-6). Does anyone have any advice on what I can do next season?
BEST ANSWER: We also had a very dry summer here in Stonington, CT and not that it helps much, like yours, my berry production was way down. My drip lines do not extend to my berries (red, yellow and black raspberries, Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry and wild raspberries). I was too late in noticing that the druplets were not filling out and the canes were small and weaker than normal. Berries were weak looking and tasting. I would not say bitter so this may not address your problem. The triple crowns were just very slow too mature and much fewer in number. A wives tale says add cow manure for the best tasting berries but I just use 1lb of Nitrogen per 100 ft of berries (thats 2.2 lbs of 45-0-0 urea specifically) after the berries set.
BTW I recommend "The Berry Grower's Companion" by Barbara Bowling.
Sorry, no easy answer. Oddly, irrigated blueberries produced record crops of perfect berries.
BTW I recommend "The Berry Grower's Companion" by Barbara Bowling.
Sorry, no easy answer. Oddly, irrigated blueberries produced record crops of perfect berries.
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- Dave M on Nov 12, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 31, 2015
I live in Zone 9B when is the best time to plant? Also how long until it would produce fruit?
BEST ANSWER: Plant in Springtime after all danger of frost is past, which for your zone is nearly year round. These are nursery cutting propagated plants, so they will have tiny root systems, small green leaves, and need to be gently cared for until they grow vines a few feet long. The first year, the plant is just surviving and establishing new roots and leaves. The fruit always sets on last year's new vines, so what you grow new from the ground this year is what will bloom and set fruit next year. Don't expect a lot of fruit your 2nd year since the vines grow to some fraction of their full potential. 3rd fruiting year, or 4th year since planted, is considered by most to be the most prolific harvest for blackberries.
Triple crown is the most vigorous and heavy fruit bearing of all the varieties we planted, and it's really easy to let the vines tip layer new plants, even from first year growth! If I had to pick a single variety to grow from among the dozen or so I've tried, it would be Triple Crown.
Triple crown is the most vigorous and heavy fruit bearing of all the varieties we planted, and it's really easy to let the vines tip layer new plants, even from first year growth! If I had to pick a single variety to grow from among the dozen or so I've tried, it would be Triple Crown.
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- Joseph B on Mar 23, 2020
- Purchased on Mar 28, 2018
Is it O.K. to put grass clippings around blackberry canes?
BEST ANSWER: It's not recommended after the first year and first year mulch should be weed frre like clean straw mulch. Worry is for development of Phytophthora root rot associated with grass mulch on heavy soils (clayey vs. organic). If this shows its the end of your plants so better safe is the idea here. Growing grass between rows is commonly done however. ref. Berry grower's companion by B. Bowling.
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- Dave M on Mar 5, 2017
- Purchased on Mar 31, 2015
Can I plant Triple Crown black berries next to raspberries?
BEST ANSWER: Yes the only planting rule pertains to black raspberries. Do not plant Red, Gold or Purple raspberries within 75-100 feet of Black raspberries. Black raspberries may be more susceptible to viral diseases carried by aphids to and from nearby raspberry plants.
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- TiffanyF Staff on Mar 19, 2021
How long will it take to get first harvest?
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. You can find the years-to-bear information in the Characteristics section, near the top of the page, underneath the description. This tree takes 1-2 years to bear.
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
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- TiffanyF Staff on Feb 19, 2021
I ordered these last summer and the order has been delayed three times, it is February now and still no plants. I understand delays, but why list them today as available? If they are available why not send mine?
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Our dates are always estimations as we rely on the growers to give us the dates in which the product is ready to ship and be transplanted successfully. I am very sorry your order was delayed, however if you look at the product website and to right of the item you see an ETA date currently this shows 2/21 for the first ETA and if your planting time allows this then your order will be shipped at that time. Please feel free to reach out to our customer service to answer any questions regarding your order at 800-325-4180
. Have a great day!
. Have a great day!
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- TiffanyF Staff on Feb 9, 2021
Can I plant in October?
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Because weather and soil conditions vary so much from year to year and even within your zone, it's best to think of your planting time as a range of favorable conditions instead of an exact time.
You can plant new plants and trees:
1) when the ground is not frozen.
2) when daytime temperatures are above freezing (32??F) and below 90??F.
3) when extreme weather (blizzard, hail, torrential rain, etc.) is not in the forecast. Be sure to keep plants watered if you're transplanting in warm and/or dry weather.
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
You can plant new plants and trees:
1) when the ground is not frozen.
2) when daytime temperatures are above freezing (32??F) and below 90??F.
3) when extreme weather (blizzard, hail, torrential rain, etc.) is not in the forecast. Be sure to keep plants watered if you're transplanting in warm and/or dry weather.
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
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- TiffanyF Staff on Oct 7, 2020
Do you have large containers with the plant already planted in the container?
BEST ANSWER: The largest container we offer is the small 1 gallon pot.
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- TiffanyF Staff on Jul 31, 2020
The site is SE slope of sandy mudstone under a clay soil, with great exposure. Room for two trees, 40' apart. How big a hole (given dense soil) and which varieties?
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Please refer to our growing guide, it has all the planting and care instructions you will need to be successful https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/how-to-grow/berry-plants/blackberry-plants/planting
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
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- TiffanyF Staff on Jul 7, 2020
I live in zone 4B. If I mulch with straw for the winter,can I grow these berries?
What is a "cell" of BlackBerry. I haven't heard that word cell when referring to plants. ? Sorry for my ignorance of this.
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. That is a term we use to reference our packaging. Our cell packs come in a package of 3 or 6 plants.
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
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- Tabitha R Expert on Dec 9, 2019
What is a good separation distance for multiple berry plants?
BEST ANSWER: Blackberry plants should be space 5-6' apart.
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- LeAnn Staff on May 29, 2019
What is the difference in the gallon pot to the jumbo pack?
BEST ANSWER: 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.
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- LeAnn Staff on Mar 10, 2019
Do these have to be covered in zone5 winter? And, how do you cover them?
BEST ANSWER: We would recommend it to protect the roots. Here is a very good article about how to winterize your plants and fruit trees: //www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/fruit-tree-care-winterizing
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- LeAnn Staff on Sep 7, 2018
What is another thornless variety that is a good pollinator for this variety??
BEST ANSWER: Any of the varieties on this page will work: ://www.starkbros.com/search?query=thornless+blackberries
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- LeAnn Staff on May 28, 2018
I ordered 8 of these plants. Thought they were a bush but appears to be crawling on the ground which makes me think they are a vine. Do i need to put up a trellis for them to grow up?
BEST ANSWER: This variety is not a natural bush-type variety, like the Bushel & Berry plants. Proper pruning turns them into something closer than a bush, and though the canes are semi-erect, they bear so much fruit that supporting the canes with a trellis is a good idea. This is a very good book about growing berries ... if you're a novice, it will save you a lot of trouble and give you great crops: //www.starkbros.com/products/tools-and-supplies/books/homegrown-berries
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- LeAnn Staff on Aug 5, 2017
Is a second blackberry plant of the same variety a pollinating partner or does a pollinating partner need to be of a different variety?
what does semi-trailing growth habit mean ? thanks, vaughn
BEST ANSWER: Different blackberry varieties have different growth habits: Erect canes will stand up on their own without support. Semi-trailing and Trailing varieties' canes do not remain upright as they grow. The canes of this variety have more of an arching growth habit that may require support to keep the canes and future fruit off the ground.
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- Sarah D Staff on Jun 9, 2017
Are they deer resistant?
I have a huge patch of wild blackberry in the HOA open space, mounding up to 2 foot tall. My intent is to "stealth" replace these wild thorny guys with a thornless of the same behavior. The HOA landskeeper is cool with the idea (and won't tear them out), but I wish to avoid neighborly attention. What do you recommend in area 9B?
I live in zone 4B. If I mulch with straw over the winter can I grow these berries?
We are wondering if we plant our Black Tartarian Cherry and our Montmorency Pie CHerry near our "fruitless ornamental" Cherry tree, if there is risk our new fruiting trees won't fruit due to the wrong cross pollination?
After planting Triple Crown blackberry plants, after a couple years of establishing, will it have off shoots & can I dig up off shoot plants for planting other places?
Customer Reviews
4.3 / 5.0
32 Reviews
Taste is GREAT!
I love these berries. I am in Eastern Washington, and they are hardy, easy to grow, beautiful and bushy, and taste fabulous! This was our first harvest year (3rd year in the ground), and we couldn't get enough of them. For East. WA, they ripen in late July with the main harvest in the first 2 weeks of August. Best for picking and eating when the berry is somewhat softer and comes off/falls off easily when you pull on it. If you have to tug to get it off the stem, let it sit a few more days. They are worth the wait! These thornless plants are especially good for parents with small children and for people who want "edible yards."
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August 20, 2016
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Super Great Flavor!
We are in the third growing season, so getting our first real crop from these plants. We purchased two to plant in our patch with other varieties. WOW!! Size, yield and flavor (triple crown) are all phenomenal, but especially the flavor!! Our other varieties are tart, these, if allowed to totally ripen on the vine are sugar sweet! The whole patch will be replaced with these over the next couple of years.
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August 22, 2016
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Fantastic Berries!
These berry bushes are vigorous growers and have done well for us. The third season after planting they produced a nice amount of berries. The berries are the size of your thumb and make excellent juice for jelly making! Entering our local fair, the berries won 1st place and also won 1st place with blackberry jelly! That's a "Double Blue Ribbon"! I'm looking forward to picking loads more of these berries this summer and highly recommend this blackberry.
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February 23, 2017
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Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry
It is certainly way too early to write a review of how I like the Blackberries as I received them late last fall and immediately planted them. I would like to comment on the packaging as the plants came well watered and protected by both plastic and cardboard inside the sturdy sealed mailing bag. They appeared to be very healthy growing plants, unlike items I've received from other nurseries. I've recently checked on them and they appear to have survived the winter and are ready for spring. Hoping to use them to make wine when they start producing berries!
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Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry
The size, quality and quantity of the berries were outstanding compared to other varieties. They took root easily after transplanting.
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Impressive growth
After a year of quick growth, I was pleasantly surprised at how many clusters of blossoms appeared! I would recommend to someone wanting to purchase this to have a proper trellis ready because the vines get very long on the ground. The last thing you want to do is accidently step on them!
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Easy to grow, good production.
Performance of these plants has been excellent. All the plants that I purchased have done well with great fruit production.
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Success with Triple Crown Blackberries
Highly recommend these berry plants. We have planted 18 plants and have excellent success. This year 2017, they came in to their own and produced an unbelievable harvest of large, succulent berries. The harvest filled our freezer and even thawed, they are sweet and delicious.
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Good tasting, hardy, easy-care
I put my plants in under less than optimal conditions and this has been a difficult weather year. Nonetheless, they are thriving and have produced a handful of berries with good flavor and texture. I'd recommend these to anyone who wants a nice berry crop with minimal effort.
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Maybe my rating will change with time
I ordered 6 of these plants. They were delivered on a timely basis and in good condition. I planted these according to the directions and had very minimal growth last season and 4 of the plants did not survive. This year one of the "dead" ones put out new growth from the roots, and the other two survivors are putting on new growth as well. These seem to be very slow growing. No fruit yet so I cannot comment on size or flavor.
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