Prime-Ark 45 Blackberry

Prime-Ark 45 is the third primocane-fruiting blackberry released in the University of Arkansas's trademarked Prime-Ark line, developed by Dr. John R. Clark's breeding program using decades of conventional crossbreeding aimed at producing blackberries that fruit on first-year canes rather than only on the second-year floricanes typical of most varieties. That primocane-fruiting trait gives Prime-Ark 45 two harvest windows in a single season: a floricane crop ready from early to mid-June, and a second primocane crop beginning around August and continuing until frost. Clark's program noted a substantial improvement in fruit quality and flavor over earlier primocane-fruiting releases like Prime-Jim, with sugar content rated just under that of the widely praised Ouachita variety, along with good storage and shipping durability and reliable cold hardiness.