Scientific Name:
Rubus fruticosus
'Black Satin'
Pronunciation:
ROO-bus froo-tih-KOE-sus
Common Name:
thornless blackberry
Family Name:
Rosaceae
Plant Type:
Semi-evergreen, Vine or climber
Key ID Features:
Whole plant very similar to Himalayan blackberry but lacks prickles and spines: leaves alternate, pinnately compound, leaflets 3-5 (the lower ones may not be fully separated), ovate, most 5-12(-15)cm long x 3-6(-10)cm wide (terminal leaflet blade is the largest and has a petiolule up to 6cm long), with prickles on rachis and petiolules, base rounded to slightly cordate, margin double serrate; cymes of fragrant flowers 3-4cm wide, 5 pinkish-white petals, multiple simple pistils; fruit an aggregate of drupelets, red maturing black, 1-2cm long.
Habit:
Arching, Dense, Pendulous, Spreading
Form:
Climbing
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Garden origin (hybrid origin involving many Rubus species)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Screening, Urban agriculture, Wildlife food
Additional Info:
Google. Other thornless cultivars include R. 'Cacanska Bestrna', R. 'Chester Thornless', R. 'Dirksen Thornless', R. 'Hull Thornless', R. 'Loch Maree', R. 'Loch Ness', R. 'Loch Tay', R. 'Merton Thornless', R. 'Smoothstem', and R. 'Triple Crown'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Compound Leaf:
Digitate (palmate)
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Green-yellow
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Double serrate, Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers clustered, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Many simple pistils
Fruit Type:
Aggregate fruit, Drupe, Edible
Fruit Colour:
Red, Dark-red, Black (changes from red to black)
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots, Stipule (leafy)
Propagation:
Layering
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Beetles or weevils, Leafhopper, Mites, Mold
