Freedom is a cultivar of blackberry developed by John R. Clark at the University of Arkansas and is the first thornless primocane-fruiting blackberry ever developed. Primocane means that the plant blooms and fruits on both previous-year and current-year canes. It will grow 4-10 feet tall erect canes. Blackberries are in the rose family (Rosaceae). The plant prefers full sun in fertile moist well-drained soils. It will tolerate clay soils and drought once established. 'Freedom' grows fast and is said to produce large, sweet fruits. Being thornless is a great plus for harvesting fruits. The new canes will produce berries first in July and the previous year's canes will produce in June. They both will continue bearing until frost. This blackberry requires 500 chill hours. 'Freedom' is recommended for home gardeners and those who grow for local markets as it doesn't ship well. Blackberries can be used in the edible garden but also as barriers, screening or grown for wildlife. Information on blackberry cultivation for home gardeners is available in the NC State Extension publication Blackberries for the Home Garden . Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This blackberry has good resistance to diseases and insects. More information on Rubus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Compound leaves with 3-7 leaflets that are 1.5-2 inches long and lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate with soft hairs on both surfaces. Margins are serrated to doubly serrate, bases broadly cuneate to rounded and tip pointed
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower detail
White to pink-tinged 5-petaled flowers are produced in abundance late spring to mid-summer. They are self-pollinating.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Aggregate; Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit detail
The large elongated drupes are red maturing to black and are juicy and edible