If you grew up in southern Illinois then you know the taste of blackberries. For years rural and urban residents alike stopped along roadways and harvested wild blackberries. Due to urban expansion many of these fence rows are now gone. One thing that has not left is the taste for this marvelous fruit. Eaten fresh or cooked their flavor will tingle any palate.

Blackberries will tolerate many sites and soil conditions and these plants can survive over 10 years. So pick a place to add these to the landscape that can be tolerated for a long period of time.

Pruning is very important. Each year after fruit bearing one should remove old bearing canes. The new canes that grow will be the fruit wood for next year's crop. So let's review – Remove the canes that had fruit and new canes will bear next year's crop. Two year old canes are the fruit bearers.

There are three groups of blackberries based on growth habit these are erect, semi-erect and trailing.

The following are some varieties one might consider for southern Illinois.

Hull released by USDA in 1981 is a thornless semi-erect variety that should be placed on a trellis but is very productive.

Triple Crown released by USDA in 1996 is thornless semi-erect that is more upright than Hull but also needs a trellis. This variety bears large fruit and yields well.

Kiowa was released in 1996 by the University of Arkansas. This variety is very large and has excellent flavor. This is my favorite blackberry but wear gloves when you pick it. The flavor and size is worth the thorn battle.

So select a well-drained site and order those plants. Erect plants should be planted 3 feet apart and semi-erect plants should be planted 6 feet apart.

Blackberries are a nutritious fruit. They are a source of vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium. They contain a compound called illogic acid which has been identified as an anti-carcinogen.

Now is the time to begin to bring this fruit back to southern Illinois. The delicious flavor of this delightful fruit is worth your planting effort.