Short, Plump & Juicy – meet the BrazelBerries!
Is your mouth watering yet? 'Raspberry Shortcake' debuts this spring
You've heard the saying “good things come in small packages”? Well this collection of pint-sized berry BrazelBerries seem sure to prove the point! I have all three tucked safely inside my vegetable garden (to thwart the deer) and can’t wait to snack on these treats in summer.
'Raspberry Shortcake' will fill out a large container with bowlfuls of delicious fruit
BrazelBerries ‘Raspberry Shortcake’. I like raspberries – a lot, so this really caught my eye. What makes it unique? It’s thornless, doesn't require staking and forms an attractive mounding plant 2-3’ tall and wide. When was the last time you heard a raspberry plant described as attractive? And just look at that foliage! In Oregon the growers have found that the summer foliage takes on a wild technicolor look with red tints. They're not sure yet if this will be a universal feature – hope so! This would be perfect in a large patio container where you can snack from the comfort of a chair. The super-sweet, medium sized fruit is borne mid-summer.
More than just a tasty fruit - 'Raspberry Shortcake'
Culture
Full sun. Fruits on new canes. Hardy in zones 5-9
Spring foliage and bloom of 'Peach Sorbet' blueberry - a beautiful shrub even if it never bore fruit!
BrazelBerries ‘Peach Sorbet’. No it’s not a peach tree. This is actually a ‘peach of a blueberry’ and like all blueberries is a true four season star in the garden. This compact, mounding bush starts the year with vibrant new foliage in shades of pinky-peach moving through orange and emerald. White spring flowers are followed by yummy fat fruit. ‘Peach Sorbet’ is evergreen in most climates but the leaves turn to a rich purple as temperatures drop. My kind of foliage! Great patio or hedging plant at just 2’ tall and wide
The stunning winter foliage on 'Peach Sorbet' blueberry. WOW
Culture
Full sun. Acidic soil. Fruits on new canes. Hardy in zones 5-10.
A perfect size for a patio container, 'Jelly Bean' blueberry
BrazelBerries ‘Jelly Bean’. Described by the growers as “a charming little puffball of a blueberry”, how could I resist?! The bush may only be 1-2’ tall and wide but promises to yield a bumper crop of large, flavorful blueberries mid-summer. All blueberries have fabulous foliage and this one is no exception. Brilliant green new growth becomes darker and infused with red as the season progresses. This could be a delightful and delicious alternative to a dwarf boxwood hedge around a herb garden but is also ideal for a pot.
'Jelly Bean' is attractive in spring too.
Culture
Full sun, acidic soil. Fruits on new canes. Hardy in zones 4-8
Monrovia has been selected as one of the exclusive growers for the BrazelBerries so you know these are going to be high quality. They will debut in independent garden centers this spring and are also available by mail order from White Flower Farm now
Join me for a summer berry-fest!
All photo courtesy of BrazelBerries
These look great, I was wondering if there is any info on phytothora tolerance, and, well, hardiness in general.
Thanks Anne Taylor
Hi Anne, Through our years breeding, trialing and growing these plants, these varieties do not appear to be susceptible to phytothora. Part of our selection criteria for BrazelBerries is that they have to be easy-to-grow for home gardeners, beautiful in patio pots or in the landscape and they must have abundant, delicious fruit. Oh, and they have to be self-fertile as well. So we watch for all of that and we grow plants in a high-health nursery environment.
As for hardiness, Jelly Bean has been trialed successfully as low as zone 4 and Peach Sorbet and Raspberry Shortcake to zone 5. We are continue to study these plants in colder zones as well.
For more details on this collection or the varieties, please visit our website: http://www.brazelberries.com Lots of incredible varieties coming in the future as well!
Hi Anne, the best I can do is to refer you to the growers; inquiries@brazelberries.com Do report back!
I saw these at the Baltimore trade show last January and they were very nice looking. I will be interested to find out what you think after growing them for a while. The birds always get all my blueberries even with netting which they fly under. Luckily they make a great ornamental shrub.
The foliage excites me almost as much as the promise of fruit! I'll let you know how I get on.
Yum! These make me want to grow berries which I have not had the patience for in the past – too many birds come to help themselves!
Jayne, LOVE your avatar! Yes I may have to fend off birds but they have plenty of slugs to eat so maybe they won't bother? I can hope!
I would certainly grow these just for the foliage… but the berries! Sweet. I'll be sure to look for them for my Patio garden.
I see a berry-fest in your future Carolyn
Karen – Thank you so much for the wonderful post you wrote on BrazelBerries. They are truly amazing plants – a new category of small, ornamental berry plants. We're excited for home gardeners to get their hands on these varieties this spring at their local retail garden center or online right now at http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com! We'd love to hear people report back here with how their plants are doing. Thank you again. Happy gardening to you and your followers! – Amy