Mystery raspberry cane

I have wild black raspberry and wild blackberry canes in my yard, mid missouri.  Wild genetics from a local grower.  

Last year, a mystery cane came up. Obviously raspberry,  but not purple stem like the black raspberry. And leaves don't match either plant fully, looks like a cross.  The raspberry didn't tip root there, and the cane is basically in the middle of a blackberry crown.

Admittedly,  I let a lot of blackberry fruit drop the year before. But I got zero raspberries so far.   I've read that raspberry x blackberry rarely makes viable seed, and IF if does the plant won't be capable of flowering.

Well, this mystery cane is flowering!  Any guesses on what im looking at?  It's really stumped me, especially since it's the wrong color stem and almost thornless.  

The mystery continues. This cane is forming fruit, definitely raspberry.  But not the black raspberry I planted as evidenced by the cane itself, compare between the two yourself.

Weird!  And another coming up about 12 inches away.  It's fruiting in near total shade of the blackberry too.  


After the next rain we shall see what color the fruit is!

It looks like Dewberry. The canes are more slender and the berries resemble blackberries.

Looks like a cross of blackberry/raspberry to me.  Forget what you’ve read about them seldom crossing, mine do all the time, and the berries are excellent, especially if we spray compost tea and minerals on them early spring.  I don’t think it is dewberry, it grows close to the ground., more of a creeper than upright stems.  The leaves look a lot like blackberry, and the stems raspberry.  Raspberry always has a whitish look to backside of leaf.  

Faye Streiff wrote:Looks like a cross of blackberry/raspberry to me.  Forget what you’ve read about them seldom crossing, mine do all the time, and the berries are excellent, especially if we spray compost tea and minerals on them early spring.  I don’t think it is dewberry, it grows close to the ground., more of a creeper than upright stems.  The leaves look a lot like blackberry, and the stems raspberry.  Raspberry always has a whitish look to backside of leaf.  

It doesn't appear to adhere to Dewberry characteristics.  It is indeed upright.  Also found another primocane growing.  Stalk of raspberry,  leaves of blackberry.  

Maybe raspberry and blackberry don't cross unless you aren't looking,  so the universities won't have much success 😆  or it simply could be broad incompatibility but certain plants will have more success.


Looking like the fruits will be red or purple , and they are formed like raspberry with the hollow center after picking.  This doesn't seem too aggressive (unlike the blackberry) so after everything fruits I'm going to dig up the initial clump and move it to my other garden.

The native black raspberry is turning quite vibrant red after last Thursdays rain. Mystery raspberry... turning purple?  Obviously,  different plants.


I don't know why this is so exciting to me 😆

Black raspberries are starting to ripen!  Mystery raspberry is a little behind.  Weirdest raspberry color I've seen! What will they ripen to?   Looking almost grayish yellow now

Mystery berry is red! And delicious!

I've never planted any red varieties.  Neat