Considered one of the more winter hardy and productive thornless varieties available, Chester produces large, high-quality fruit that ripens in early to mid-August. Fruit has excellent flavor and does not soften or lose its shiny black color in hot weather. Chester plants are vigorous and show resistance to cane blight.

This thornless variety has excellent quality fruit, with firm, sweet, attractive berries. Fruit ripens before Navaho. Plant has very erect canes, and intermediate vigor. Winter Hardiness appears to be less than Navaho, similar to Apache. Plants also appear resistant to anthracnose, double blossom/rosette and no orange rust seen on any plants. Recommended for trial in the Mid-Atlantic, West Coast and South.

Triple Crown is a joint release from the USDA-Beltsville and the Pacific West Agricultural Research Service. The plant is semi-erect and thornless and bears large, flavorful fruit. Early trials indicate that it may ripen earlier than Chester and is similar to Chester in winter hardiness. Triple Crown would be a good choice to help extend the blackberry season for home gardeners.

Released by the cooperative breeding program of MD, NJ, VA and WI, Anne has special characteristics. Anne is a large-fruited fall bearer that ripens at the same time as Heritage. Fruit holds a pale yellow color and is proving to be highly productive. Anne's excellent size, appearance, and very sweet flavor make it an excellent choice for a yellow fall bearer.

Autumn Britten originated in Great Britain. It ripens before Caroline and Heritage, bearing fruit from late summer through the fall. It has a very large, very firm and coherent berry that is flavorful. Autumn Britten has shown to be winter hardy in trials at Nourse Farms. Plants are moderately vigorous, and we recommend planting at 16 to 20 inches in-row spacing.

Released from the Cornell Small Fruit Breeding Program in Geneva, New York. This black raspberry plant is a high-producing early variety whose upright growth and cluster formation make its berries very easy to pick. It has medium to large, firm, glossy fruit with the best black raspberry flavor. Moderately hardy but very vigorous, Bristol shows tolerance to powdery mildew.

Caroline has a larger berry than Heritage and is more productive, with a rich, full, and intense raspberry flavor. It is a very vigorous variety, with more tolerance for root rot than Heritage. The farther south you grow it, the earlier it will ripen. Caroline is widely adapted, growing everywhere from the East Coast to the West Coast. This variety does not tolerate high heat and drought.

A release from the Cornell Small Fruit Breeding Program in Geneva, NY; tested as NY 7. With excellent winter hardiness and fruiting in late mid season, Encore berries are large, with very coherent drupelets, and have good raspberry flavor. Plants are vigorous, sturdy, upright, and nearly spineless. Encore is a good choice for extending the summer raspberry-picking season.

For many years this was the standard variety for production and high-quality fruit by which fall-bearing varieties were judged. The fall crop is highly productive and ripens from the end of August through October, depending on your location. The berries have good size, color and flavor. The fruit is good for jam and freezing and is delicious for fresh use, as well.

HIMBO TOP™, a primocane red raspberry variety introduced in 2008, has demonstrated high tolerance to Phytophthora root rot disease. This variety produces extremely large, firm, bright red fruit that does not darken. Berries have good flavor, are conic shaped, have small, well constructed drupelets and are easy to pick. For best results in commercial production, we recommend closely managing your cultural practices, especially water and plant density. This variety is extremely vigorous and will require less fertilizer. It ripens a few days later than Autumn Bliss. We feel Himbo Top™ has the potential to be the most productive of any variety we offer today.

Released from the Cornell Small Fruit Breeding Program in Geneva, New York. It is our most popular black raspberry variety. It produces excellent yields of superb quality berries. The fruit is glossy black in color, a large size, and has a rich raspberry flavor. It is an excellent choice for use in jams and jellies. Jewel is winter hardy and a very reliable choice.

Recently released by the N.Y. State Experiment Station, Geneva, N.Y., Prelude is identified as the earliest ripening summer red raspberry, ripening in mid-June under N.Y. conditions. Although Prelude is also fall-bearing, it produces the biggest portion of its crop in the spring. Very winter hardy and vigorous, Prelude berries are round-conic, coherent, with very good flavor. An excellent choice when early fruit and quality are required.

The Geneva Experiment Station in Geneva, New York released this variety in 1982. The most popular purple raspberry variety today, Royalty is very productive. The canes are thorny and long. The fruit is large, of high quality, and is the sweetest of all the purple raspberries. Good for fresh eating and excellent for jams and jellies. Royalty can be picked slightly immature as a firm red berry. Eludes spring frost damage, as it is a late-season variety. It has multiple insect resistances, including immunity to raspberry aphid, which should help to extend the productive life of the planting.

Recommended for southern planting. Originated in California. Fruit flavor and color are exceptional on this vigorous, southern variety. High yields have been experienced throughout the Carolina's and California. Chandler is also susceptible to anthracnose disease.

The leading commercial variety grown and is especially popular in New Jersey and Michigan. It produces high yields of large, bright blue berries that are firm and grow in large clusters. The berry flavor is superb, fresh or frozen. Bluecrop is known for its hardiness, vigor and consistent production. The plant grows to a height of 4-6 feet.

Bluegold is a mid-season variety that is highly productive, with superior quality berries for mid season. Fruit ripening is concentrated, with harvesting in 1 or 2 picks. The plant grows compact, spreading somewhat, and is cold hardy.

Blueray is an early-mid season variety that ripens a few days before Bluecrop. The large, dark-blue berries, with sweet, high-quality flavor, make Blueray an excellent choice for the home gardener. The bush is vigorous, productive, and winter-hardy. It grows to a height of 4-6 feet. Blueray is widely planted throughout the Northeast and Midwest.

This is a mid to late season blueberry plant with the largest berry of any available on the market today. Chandler will fruit over a period of 4-6 weeks, and has very nice flavor. This variety is vigorous, with a spreading habit of 5-6 feet. Chandler is probably not hardy enough for the more northern areas, but should do well in zones 5 to 7.

Duke is an early-season variety and is extremely popular in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is high-yielding and hardy. The fruit is medium to large, slightly tart, and very firm. It retains its quality better than most other varieties. Duke grows upright to a height of 4-6 feet.

Plants are very productive and grow vigorously and upright. Elliott is considered the latest of all varieties, fruiting through September. This variety is winter hardy. Berries are medium-sized, firm and have a light-blue color. Fruit needs to be picked fully ripe for best taste.

Patriot is an early variety released by the University of Maine, where growing seasons are short and winter hardiness is a must. This variety is vigorous and grows upright to a height of 4 to 6 feet. Patriot adapts to many different soil types and has performed better in heavier soil than some other varieties. The fruit is large and has very good flavor.

Reka, an early season blueberry variety bred in New Zealand, is one of the fastest growing and most adaptable varieties we have seen. A very vigorous variety, it grows well in light sandy soils, peat and heavier clay loams and is more tolerant to wetter ground than many other varieties. Reka ripens the season as Duke, but the berries have better flavor. Fruit is an attractive dark-blue color and the plant produces large crops. Its winter hardiness is rated equivalent to Bluecrop.

Beechwood Orchards