Arapaho Blackberry

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

5-8 Feet

Mature Spread

3-5 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

The Arapaho Blackberry or Rubus spp. 'Arapaho' produces medium to large fruit with a sweet flavor and small seeds. White flowers transition into firm, glossy blackberries. Berries are ready to pick in mid-summer, and the picking season often lasts about four weeks. The upright canes are bushy, and the stems are thornless for easy picking and pruning. This self-pollinating shrub can be grown on its own, and you’ll still get a harvest.

Arapaho Blackberry Care  

Plant Arapaho Blackberry shrubs in full sun using moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Prune the shrub in later winter to remove crossed canes and leggy growth. Fruit grows on new growth, so routine pruning encourages a full form and an abundant harvest.

Growing Arapaho Blackberry 

Shrubs produce a crop in one to two years. Mature plants stand 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Space Arapaho Blackberry shrubs 3 to 4 feet apart. 

Plant Arapaho Blackberry in a 24-inch wide container for flexible placement options on a porch or deck. Repot annually or when the roots emerge through the drainage holes in the container.

Watering Arapaho Blackberry 

Arapaho Blackberry shrubs have a shallow root system and prefer consistently damp soil. Give these plants one to two inches of water weekly during the growing season.

Feeding Arapaho Blackberry 

Feed Arapaho Blackberry plants using a balanced or nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Apply fertilizer in the spring, mid-summer, and fall.