Marionberry

The marionberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus) is a cultivar of blackberry released in 1956 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University.<ref name="finn">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=ORB/><ref name="npr">Template:Cite web</ref> It is named after Marion County, Oregon, where the berry was bred and tested extensively in the mid-20th century.<ref name=finn/>

A cross between the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' varieties,<ref name=finn/><ref name="ORB">Template:Cite web</ref> it is the most widely planted trailing blackberry in the world.<ref name="strik">Template:Cite web</ref> Oregon accounts for over 90% of the worldwide acreage of marionberries.<ref name=strik/>

Description and flavor

Marionberries may be called caneberries due to their typical extensive growth on long canes (vines) and brambles.<ref name="varieties">Template:Cite web</ref> Marionberries are an aggregate fruit formed in a cluster of many juice filled sacks called drupelets.<ref name=varieties/>

The marionberry plant is a vigorously growing trailing vine, with some canes up to Template:Convert long.<ref name=finn/><ref name=npr/> The vines have many large spines, and the fruiting laterals are long and strong, producing many berries.<ref name="britann">Template:Cite web</ref> The berry is glossy and, as with many blackberries, appears black on the plant, but turns a deep, dark purple when frozen and thawed.<ref name=ORB/> It is medium in size and tends to be conical, longer than it is wide.<ref name=ORB /> The berry has a somewhat tart, earthy and sweet flavor.<ref name=ORB />

Development and cultivation

The marionberry was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. It was bred by George F. Waldo as a mix between the small, flavorful 'Chehalem' berry and the larger, better-producing 'Olallie' berry.<ref name=finn/> Both the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' berries are caneberry hybrids. Waldo made the initial cross in 1945, selected it as OSC 928 in 1948 in Corvallis, and tested it in Marion County and elsewhere in the Willamette Valley.<ref name=finn/> The berry was released in 1956 under the name Marion Template:Ndash the county where it was first cultivated and tested.<ref name=finn/><ref name=whc/> It is considered to be a "trailing" blackberry vine suitable for management in cultivation.<ref name="es-osu">Template:Cite web</ref>

Oregon produces 90% of the US grown, frozen blackberries found in US grocery stores,<ref name="why">Template:Cite web</ref> with Marion County and the Willamette Valley collectively accounting for most of that production.<ref name=whc/><ref name=why/> The marionberry is well-adapted to the mild, maritime western Oregon climate, with its frequent rains and warm summers.<ref name=whc/><ref name=why/>

Marionberries ripen throughout spring and early summer, reaching their peak during July when they are hand-picked or machine-harvested.<ref name=strik/><ref name=whc/> Some 900 Oregon growers produced marionberries, as of the early 2000s.<ref name=whc/> The harvesting season is typically between July 10 and August 10, with a single acre producing up to Template:Convert in a harvest.<ref name=ORB /><ref name=whc/>

There is a hybrid variety with boysenberry in Australia called Silvanberry. Classed under the blackberry family, Silvanberry plants have many characteristics commonly found among other blackberry varieties. These plants are long living (15 to 20 years) perennials, hardy and cold tolerant, easy to grow, and productive spreaders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Not an invasive species

Although related to a blackberry species considered to be a noxious weed Template:Ndash the Himalaya blackberry (R. armeniacus) which is an aggressive invasive species<ref name=es-osu/> Template:Ndash marionberries are not invasive because they do not readily germinate to grow new canes from seed.<ref name="strik-es">Template:Cite web</ref> They are commonly pruned and trained on trellises.<ref name=es-osu/><ref name=strik-es/>

Marionberry pedigree

The pedigree of marionberries involves 44% of Rubus ursinus, 25% of R. armeniacus, and 6% of R. idaeus (the red raspberry).<ref name=strik/>

In popular culture

Marionberries Template:Ndash as fresh or frozen fruit or in various products, such as jam, syrup or ice cream Template:Ndash are widely consumed and prized by visitors to the Willamette Valley as a souvenir.<ref name=strik/><ref name="whc">Template:Cite web</ref>

The berry was the inspiration for the West Coast League's Marion Berries collegiate summer baseball team, which was founded in 2024 and begin play in 2025.

The Portlandia episode "The Brunch Special" is based on the marionberry.