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Fruit Edible

Rubus fruticosus agg. 'Purple Opal' (B)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

blackberry 'Purple Opal'

A dwarf, mid-season blackberry about 90cm tall and suited to container cultivation, with rich green leaves on thornless stems and small white or pale pink flowers in the summer, producing a harvest of sweet, rounded, purple-black fruits in August-September.

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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer White Pink Green Black
Autumn Green Yellow Black
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7
Botanical details
Family
Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen or Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump forming, Suckering, Spreading branched
Genus

Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits

Name status

Unresolved

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How to grow

Cultivation

Train to wires in a sheltered spot, in any moisture-retentive, fertile soil in sun or partial shade. Alternatively, as this is a compct variety, grow free-standing. Can be grown in a container. May have the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well. See blackberry cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division or tip layering

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Patio and container plants
  • Edible fruit
Pruning

Once established, cut older fruited stems down to the ground once harvest is complete. Tie in new shoots to their framework.

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)

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