Skip to product information
1 of 1

Silver Creek Nursery Ltd.

Potted Illini Hardy Blackberry

Potted Illini Hardy Blackberry

Available only for pick-up at nursery.

Species: Rubus sp.

History: Illini Hardy was developed as a cold hardy variety by the University of Illinois and released in 1988. It is a cross between Chester Thornless and NY 95.

Why We Grow It: This variety produces very large and abundant berries late in the summer. The dark berries are sweet with some tartness, resembling the flavour of wild blackberries. Its cold hardy nature makes it hard to turn down for Canadian growers.

Pictured on the left: top: Chester, bottom: Illini Hardy

Fruit Specs

Recommended Use: Fresh eating, preserves, baking

Fruit Size: Large

Storage: Keeps up to a week when stored in the fridge

Harvest: August - Late

Growing Specs

Canadian Hardiness Zone: 5

Soil Preference: Loam and sandy loam, prefers soils that are moist but well-drained

Flowering Time:

Bloom Colour: White

Pollination Requirements: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without a different blackberry variety but will produce more and better fruit if one is present

Sun/Shade Requirements:

Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)

General Growth Habits:

Vigorous and hardy with an upright growth pattern, produces good-sized crops

Primocane or Floricane (if applicable): Floricane, bears fruit only on second year growth

Thorns: Yes

Pickup

Potted plants are only available for pick-up at the nursery. They unfortunately cannot be shipped due to the size and weight of the pots.

You are welcome to order potted plants ahead of time online or stop in at the nursery to purchase them! Our hours vary seasonally so we recommend checking our posted hours ahead of time (see the bottom of the webpage or our Google hours).

Size at Purchase

The sizes of potted plants varies by species and variety, but we have some approximate size ranges based on pot size (all heights include the pot):

  • 1g pots - 1-3ft tall
  • 2g or 3g pots - 1.5-3ft tall
  • 5g pots - 3-7ft tall
  • 8g pots - 4-7ft tall

Please note that some plants may fall outside these ranges. If you are curious about the size of a specific kind of plant, call or email us and we're happy to give you a more accurate size range!

Size
Regular price $25.00 CAD
Regular price Sale price $25.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
View full details