Triple Crown Blackberry

Released in 1996 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service's small-fruit breeding program at Beltsville, Maryland — the same unit responsible for many of the semi-erect thornless blackberries that dominate mid-Atlantic commercial production — Triple Crown descends from a cross made in 1985, with the seedling designated SIUS 64-21-4, a full sibling of Hull Thornless, Black Satin, Dirksen Thornless, and Chester Thornless. It was tested at Beltsville through 1995 and also at Corvallis, Oregon, and its name was chosen to reflect a three-part achievement: flavor ratings equal to or exceeding both the benchmark trailing Marion and the leading semi-erect Chester Thornless, yields of 30 or more pounds per mature plant, and reliable performance across a broad range from Zone 5 through Zone 9. It succeeded well enough at combining thornlessness with rich flavor that many growers still consider it the best-flavored thornless blackberry available three decades later, and it remains one of the most commonly recommended varieties for home gardeners planting their first blackberry.