Looking at the plants sold in the home gardening market, blackberries account for only about 15–20% of total Rubus sales. There are many reasons for this. The dominance of raspberries can also be explained by the simplification of cultivation due to the emergence of autumn raspberries. It is precisely this event, this Gamechanger®, that we are preparing for in 2027 with a new blackberry family.
Summary
Despite their high yield potential, blackberries have so far played only a minor role in the home gardening market, accounting for only about 15–20% of Rubus sales. Raspberries clearly dominate the Rubus berry market, both in home gardens and commercial cultivation. The main reason for this dominance is not so much the preferred raspberry flavour, and certainly not the (rather non-existent) robustness of raspberries, but rather the significant simplification of cultivation through the introduction of autumn raspberries. These allow for radical, simple pruning and reliably bear fruit on annual shoots.
Blackberries, on the other hand, are considered space-intensive, inconsistent in taste, and more difficult to cultivate, especially because they fruit on two-year-old wood in classic varieties. Historically, this image has been reinforced by early, poor-quality, extremely sour and bitter thornless varieties. After all, blackberries yield significantly higher yields per plant than raspberries, but this is hardly taken into account in market comparisons.
With the new Gamechanger® blackberry family, Lubera is pursuing a similar approach to that once taken with Autumn Bliss for raspberries: thornless autumn blackberries that bear fruit on this year's shoots, grow compactly, deliver consistently sweet fruit, and are easy to cultivate. This new generation of blackberries is expected to be available starting in 2027, fundamentally simplifying and repositioning the blackberry range. We expect that the Gamechanger® varieties will not only significantly increase sales of autumn blackberries, but also greatly increase the demand for garden blackberries overall (not least thanks to the smaller planting distances).
Blackberries vs. raspberries in the home gardening market
We have already discussed the absolute dominance of Rubus berries (also known as caneberries or brambles in Anglo-Saxon countries) in a previous article (link), but the figures are so impressive that I don't want to withhold them here.
Graph: The dominance of Rubus berries - Percentage breakdown of plants sold by group
The result is just as clear, at least in our figures (plant sales over two years at Lubera.com), when we compare Rubus berries: 86.7% raspberries vs. 13.3% blackberries. Here is a little tip: I often see that blackberries tend to be overrepresented in mixed offers.
Incidentally, this order also applies to commercial cultivation, where blackberries fall significantly behind raspberries.
Why are blackberries planted much less frequently?
Why are blackberries so much less in demand and planted less frequently than raspberries? The main reasons for this are easy to list:
- Larger plants require more space:
Blackberries grow larger than raspberries and need more space: the planting distance should be 1–2 m. Due to their larger crown and longer shoots, they also produce 2–3 times more fruit per plant. If this were taken into account in the comparison and the popularity of the fruit were assessed on the basis of the harvest yields achieved, blackberries would account for 30–40% of the total. - Although the aroma is more complex than that of raspberries, the taste is not sweet enough
- Lack of consistency in fruit quality and taste: sometimes you get a very sweet berry, sometimes it is almost unpleasantly sour
- Poor image due to the first thornless varieties, such as Thornfree and Black Satin
The dominance of raspberries: surprising at first glance
When you consider the problems involved in cultivation, the dominance of raspberries is rather counterintuitive. Raspberries are much more demanding than blackberries in terms of cultivation and soil requirements. It is not without reason that the rule of thumb is that if raspberry cultivation fails in an existing framework, the easiest solution is to replant blackberries – raspberries would almost certainly not work anymore.
On the other hand, the frost susceptibility of the two-year-old blackberry canes tends to tip the balance back in favour of raspberries. The other reasons for the dominance of raspberries reflect (in negative terms, so to speak) the reasons for the lesser importance of blackberries:
Raspberries are:
- planted closer together and in greater numbers
- sweeter on average
- have a more consistent fruit quality than blackberries, which may also be related to the easier-to-determine picking time
Raspberries are above all easier – thanks to autumn raspberries
Despite their relatively high soil requirements, raspberries are considered easy to grow. The widespread use of autumn raspberries, which simplify pruning, is crucial to this image: simply cut them back every February, and you are guaranteed to get fruit. In addition to pruning, cultivation is simplified because only this year's shoots contribute to the yield. This means that the canes do not have to survive the winter.
A closer look at raspberries: Which raspberries are in highest demand?
Here, too, the figures are more than clear.
Graph: Summer raspberries vs. autumn raspberries – summer raspberries 24.5%, autumn raspberries 75.5%
Summer raspberries now account for only a quarter of sales in the home gardening market. The real game changer for raspberries was the emergence of autumn raspberries. They produce a yield comparable to summer raspberries, but are often of better quality than summer raspberries and have a longer season (currently, the earliest autumn raspberries start as early as the beginning of July). Above all, however, autumn raspberries are much easier to grow; the sometimes almost chaotic jumble of two-year-old fruiting canes and this year's new canes is no longer necessary; pruning, the dreaded task of many garden owners, becomes child's play: all shoots are cut back to 5-10 cm in February.
Looking back: When and how exactly did demand for raspberry plants shift towards autumn raspberries?
Looking back makes it clear how strongly and in what direction the raspberry market has changed in “only” 50 years. In a reference book describing the state of berry breeding in 1975 (Advances in Fruit Breeding, ed. by Jules Janick and James N. Moore), not even a whole column is devoted to autumn raspberries, and the section begins with the telling sentence:
"The full potential of the fall-bearing characteristic has not been investigated."
Although a few autumn-bearing plants had been observed and described in natural populations of the European Rubus idaeus and the American Rubus strigosus since the 19th century, they usually only bore fruit at the tips of this year's canes, far too late and with only small berries. The only autumn-bearing variety with a reasonable berry size, but also with a much too late ripening time, was Lloyd George, which was therefore sold almost exclusively as a summer raspberry (from 1920 onwards). This variety was used very frequently in breeding and is found in the pedigrees of almost 70% of modern varieties.
Autumn raspberries only really came to the attention of the market with the introduction of Heritage (Geneva, New York, 1969) and Zeva Herbsternte (Swiss Federal Research Station, Switzerland, Kobel and Schütz 1963), with Heritage tending to be more popular in southern countries due to its later ripening time, and the earlier Zeva Herbsternte particularly in the DACH region. In the home garden market, these varieties may have achieved a 20–30% market share by the 1980s.
The situation changed definitively with the introduction of the Autumn Bliss variety (breeder Elisabeth Keep, 1983), bred in East Malling, which began to gain ground in the mid to late 1980s. This variety used not only the autumn-bearing genes of the main Rubus species (the European Rubus idaeus and the American Rubus strigosus), but also completely different Rubus species, in particular the extremely early-maturing and almost shrub-like Rubus arcticus (also with flowers on this year's shoots). It was only due to this inbreeding that the harvest start date could be moved up to early August.
I was working at the Swiss Federal Research Station in Wädenswil (as an intern) at the time and heard rumours about the new miracle raspberries in 1988, when people were talking about it over coffee during their break. Hansjörg Häberli (the founder of the berry plant company Häberli) had reported on a variety that would fundamentally change the world of raspberries.
And lo and behold: with the introduction of Autumn Bliss, market conditions did indeed change. By the end of the 1990s, only about a third of the plants sold were summer raspberries, with 60–70% being autumn raspberries...
Of course, a lot has changed since then. Autumn raspberries have become extremely diverse, the fruit size has almost tripled, and the diversity of colours, shapes, and growth types has increased. Lowberry® dwarf raspberries and Twotimer® raspberries were invented, which can produce a summer crop on the two-year-old canes in addition to the autumn crop.
But in home gardens, the dominance of autumn-bearing varieties (whose harvest now begins as early as July/August) is based on the fact that they are much easier to grow than summer raspberries, without having to make too many compromises in terms of quality and yield.
What were the reasons for Autumn Bliss's resounding success?
- Ripe fruit starting at the beginning of August, meaning it can be grown almost anywhere in Central Europe
- Simplicity thanks to easy cultivation and pruning: simply cut down the canes
- Attractive fruit quality (size, taste, sugar content), almost on a par with contemporary summer varieties
- Good yields: thanks to branching and a long fruiting zone on the canes, yields that are also close to those of summer raspberries
- More consistent ripening, which is an advantage for home gardens and self-sufficiency
Looking ahead: Gamechanger® in Black
At Lubera Edibles, we are currently preparing a new blackberry family: Gamechanger®. There will probably be different varieties over the next few years, but we will start with one in 2027. Lubera's breeding team is working hard to develop further varieties based on these unique genetics.
Picture: one of the new Gamecahnger® blackberry varieties
We expect the effect of these varieties to be similar to that of Autumn Bliss for raspberries: hobby gardeners will wonder whether it still makes sense to plant complicated classic blackberries that bear fruit in the second year instead of the simple new Gamechanger® varieties. Of course, the fruiting season for classic blackberries begins at the end of June (the earliest variety is 'Blackstars*** Chef®'), but the ripening period for autumn blackberries (primocane blackberries) from the beginning of August to the end of September is more than sufficient for a good harvest.
Why have autumn blackberries not really been successful so far?
And why have the first autumn blackberries, which have been around for over 10 years, not really caught on (comparable to Zewa Autumn Harvest and Heritage for raspberries)? Clearly, because they ripen too late and produce poor-quality fruit. In addition, many of the first autumn blackberries (such as our Direttissima Mont Blanc) are still thorny...What's more, many of the most important breeding programmes for blackberries are located in more southern regions (Arkansas), where it is too hot for blackberry harvesting in July/early August, so they prefer later ripening times for Primocane blackberries...
The most important characteristics of the new Gamechanger® blackberries
- Breeder: Lubera breeding team
- Ripening: from early August to late September. Despite a rainy July in Buchs, Switzerland, this date was also met last year (2025)
- Plant type: thornless autumn blackberry, bears fruit on this year's shoots
- Pruning: Gamechanger® plants are pruned back to 10 cm every year in February
- Growth: upright but automatically branching growth, 4–6 shoots, some branching again, approx. 130–160 cm tall
- Fruit zone: range of 70–150 cm with fruit buds, up to 100–150 flowers per shoot in total, 400–600 flowers and fruit buds in total, yield of ripe fruit between 3 and 4 kg
- Taste: consistently sweet and aromatic, no sour exceptions; significantly sweeter than Loch Ness and Navaho, excellent
- Fruit size: 6–8 g, some larger
- Planting distance: 50 cm, only half as large as upright blackberries, only approx. 25% of the planting distance compared to semi-upright varieties
- Availability: larger quantities of young plants will be available starting in 2027. The first variety name will be announced in mid to late 2026
FAQ
- FAQ 1: Why are blackberries less common than raspberries in home gardens?
Blackberries typically require more space, usually bear fruit on two-year-old wood, and often produce inconsistent fruit quality. In comparison, autumn raspberries have greatly simplified raspberry cultivation, significantly promoting their spread.
- FAQ 2: Are blackberries more difficult to cultivate than raspberries?
Not necessarily. Blackberries are more tolerant of different soil types and more robust, but are considered more complicated to grow because many varieties need to overwinter on two-year-old canes and require more space.
- FAQ 3: What distinguishes autumn blackberries from classic blackberries?
Autumn blackberries (primocane blackberries) bear fruit on this year's shoots. This eliminates the need to overwinter the canes, greatly simplifies pruning, and makes cultivation safer overall. Harvesting of the new Gamechanger® varieties begins in early August.
- FAQ 4: Why was Autumn Bliss a turning point for raspberries?
Autumn Bliss combined early ripening, easy cultivation, good fruit quality, and sufficient yields. This made autumn raspberries suitable for the home garden market for the first time.
- FAQ 5: What are the advantages of the new Gamechanger® blackberries?
Gamechanger® blackberries combine thornless growth, compact plants, fruit formation on annual shoots, consistently sweet fruit, and high planting density, with good yields and an early ripening period starting in early August.
- FAQ 6: When will Gamechanger® blackberries be available?
Larger quantities of young plants will be available from Lubera Edibles starting in 2027.
- FAQ 7: Will autumn blackberries completely replace classic blackberry varieties?
Tendencies suggest yes, but not completely. Classic blackberries ripen earlier (Blackstars Chef® from the end of June) and remain interesting for certain applications. For many hobby gardeners, however, autumn blackberries offer a much simpler and more reliable alternative. Autumn blackberries will quickly overtake classic blackberries in home gardens and also gain market share for blackberries in general. After all, with their newly achieved sweetness, blackberries are not only among the best, but also (thanks to anthocyanins) among the healthiest berries.
