Looking for salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

[Andrew Barney]

Looking for salmonberry plants, tayberry, boysenberry, and blue honeyberry in the honey suckle family. Willing to pay for small plants or cuttings.

[Andrew Barney]

Bump.

Highly interested in Rubus spectabilis

[William Schlegel]

Berry picking road trip to the coast this summer?

[bill]

I've done a bit of playing around with salmonberry.  Are you looking for particular traits?

[Andrew Barney]

I've done a bit of playing around with salmonberry.  Are you looking for particular traits?

Well,  the double flowering variety 'Olympic Double' trait sounds way awesome. But honestly it just sounds like a really cool raspberry relative that I should be growing as a species.  So anything in the species range would be welcome at this point. Also reviews on flavor and whether they really are tasty. Thimbleberry sounds interesting too, especially pink/purple flowered varieties (as in one YouTube video), unless it is just a misidentified salmonberry? https://youtu.be/Yy6njXukzP4

[Zach E.]

Thimbleberry sounds interesting too, especially pink/purple flowered varieties (as in one YouTube video), unless it is just a misidentified salmonberry? https://youtu.be/Yy6njXukzP4

The eastern purple-flowering thimbleberry is Rubus odoratus, which is very similar to the western white-flowering thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus. I grow Rubus odoratus and have lots of plants/cuttings I could offer... it is very easy to griw from seed. Just put some berries in the soil in the fall and let them stratify over winter -- they will pop in the spring!

[bill]

The double flowered types fruit poorly, so I haven't kept any.  They turn up pretty frequently though.

I have spent most of my time selecting for types with less astringent shoots.  Some progress there, but not as much as I would like.

I enjoy the berries, but most people are not very enthusiastic about them because they aren't very sweet.  I did a couple of blind tests between red and yellow varieties and found no difference in flavor, but in non-blind tests, people usually report that the red ones taste sweeter.

[Andrew Barney]

Cool! Yeah cuttings of those would be awesome! I did not realize the purple thimble berries are a different species of east vs west, but odoratus sounds very cool!

Ok, I wondered if the double flowered thimble berries would be lacking in pollination somehow. They sure look very cool,  but if it's a mutation I could see how potentially that could get in the way. Ornamental flowers would be nice,  but I'm more interested in the ones with the best flavor and/or berry production.

Any other suggestions in the Rubus family would be welcome.

I'm also hoping to get other berries that are similar to blueberries,  but that might be less picky about soil. Honeyberries, huckleberries, Saskatoons, etc.

With the new house I have some minor room to plant a few things.  I was thinking why not maximize it with edible perennial type fruit.

[Andrew Barney]

The double flowered types fruit poorly, so I haven't kept any.  They turn up pretty frequently though.

I have spent most of my time selecting for types with less astringent shoots.  Some progress there, but not as much as I would like.

I enjoy the berries, but most people are not very enthusiastic about them because they aren't very sweet.  I did a couple of blind tests between red and yellow varieties and found no difference in flavor, but in non-blind tests, people usually report that the red ones taste sweeter.

So it sounds like I should have some Rubus odoratus coming in the near future.  But if you have a red fruited salmonberry Rubus spectabilis available, then that would be awesome!

I now have Rubus deliciosus, the rare wild Rocky Mountain or Boulder Colorado Raspberry. Apparently it was crossed with a Mexican equivalent rubus variety and the hybrid is popular in Europe. Funny how the native has escaped major cultivation here. I tried one of the dark squished fruits yesterday when I bought it and it is literally the most delicious raspberry I've ever eaten!!

http://plantsandridiculousness.blogspot.com/2015/07/raspberries-lots-and-lots-of-raspberries.html?m=1

[Ferdzy]

Andrew, are you still interested in haskaps (honeyberries)?

I collected some seeds from 7 different clones this spring. I don't have a huge number but if you (or somebody else) is interested, can send. They will need to be stratified as I have dried them.

[Steph S]

I have the wild blackberry Rubus ursinus I think.  Birds brought it (I guess).   It is not at all picky about soil but once it gets into a sunny area is a lot more fruitful.  The berries are a bit late for us, they tend to be tart rather than sweet and have big seeds.  Plant is low growing and creeps along making new plants from runners... a very thorny ground cover I suppose might discourage animals?  or serve as erosion control for steep banks with marginal soil.  IDK if there are any traits that would be useful for breeding (or how they cross with other species,  but I wouldn't use these unless you have lots of room/ difficult or steep landscape.   

[Andrew Barney]

Andrew, are you still interested in haskaps (honeyberries)?

I collected some seeds from 7 different clones this spring. I don't have a huge number but if you (or somebody else) is interested, can send. They will need to be stratified as I have dried them.

yeah, that might be good. thanks for the offer!

[Ferdzy]

Send me a message, Andrew and I'll arrange to mail them.