Arapaho
Date: 2021-02-02, updated: 2023-03-29
High-quality erect-growing very early ripening cultivar with expanded harvest period
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Arapaho'
Originated from a cross of A-631 x A-883
Variety denomination 'Arapaho', tested as A-1536
Plants are thornless
Bushes have erect canes
Fruit weight is 5 g
Berries have a conical shape
Soluble solids - 9.1%
Fruiting habit floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the first week of May
Ripening date (regular) - third week of June
Productivity is 4 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is good
Country of origin United States
Patent Plant 8,510 dated December 19, 1993
Current status - obsolete or rarely used
Recommended replacement - Caddo
Along-term goal of the University of Arkansas blackberry breeding program has been to develop erect-caned, thornless blackberries that do not require trellis support. The first such cultivar, Navaho, was released from this program in 1988 and quickly became popular with home gardeners and commercial growers. Navaho, however, has two shortcomings - it ripens very late in the season when summer temperatures are high and it produces new canes only sparingly from roots, a characteristic that delays fruiting-row establishment. Arapaho is early ripening, erect, thornless, and quickly establishes a full fruiting row.
A notable feature of Arapaho is its earliness of fruit ripening. It ripens about 10 days earlier than Navaho. The fruiting period of blackberry Arapaho is concentrated into 4 weeks in contrast to the usual 5 to 6 week fruiting period of Navaho.
Arapaho is more prolific in producing primocanes from roots than Navaho. Plants have good resistance to cold injury at temperatures as low as minus 24 C. No orange rust and rosette has been observed on Arapaho when grown in areas of high inoculum. Arapaho can complement Navaho in providing a long harvest season for high-quality thornless blackberries.
This variety is a complement to Navaho, expand the harvest period for high-quality thornless blackberries. Arapaho fruit are short-conic in shape and have bright glossy black color. Fruit are firm, similar to Navaho. The fruit is short conic in shape, bright glossy black in color and medium in size. The fruit is firm at maturity, rating slightly less firm than the Navaho variety but more firm than the Shawnee variety. Storage quality of the fruit is comparable to the Navaho variety and superior to the Shawnee variety. Fruit clusters are medium-large, cymose, and are borne on the periphery of the plant canopy, providing easy access to harvest. Flower fertility is high and clusters are well filled.
An important positive characteristic of Arapaho variety is its small seed size. Seeds are significantly smaller than those of Navaho. The flavor is
sweet and mildly subacid, with a prominent aroma reminiscent of wild blackberries.
A notable feature of Arapaho is its earliness of fruit ripening. It ripens about 10 days earlier than Navaho. The fruiting period of blackberry Arapaho is concentrated into 4 weeks in contrast to the usual 5 to 6 week fruiting period of Navaho.
Arapaho is more prolific in producing primocanes from roots than Navaho. Plants have good resistance to cold injury at temperatures as low as minus 24 C. No orange rust and rosette has been observed on Arapaho when grown in areas of high inoculum. Arapaho can complement Navaho in providing a long harvest season for high-quality thornless blackberries.
This variety is a complement to Navaho, expand the harvest period for high-quality thornless blackberries. Arapaho fruit are short-conic in shape and have bright glossy black color. Fruit are firm, similar to Navaho. The fruit is short conic in shape, bright glossy black in color and medium in size. The fruit is firm at maturity, rating slightly less firm than the Navaho variety but more firm than the Shawnee variety. Storage quality of the fruit is comparable to the Navaho variety and superior to the Shawnee variety. Fruit clusters are medium-large, cymose, and are borne on the periphery of the plant canopy, providing easy access to harvest. Flower fertility is high and clusters are well filled.
An important positive characteristic of Arapaho variety is its small seed size. Seeds are significantly smaller than those of Navaho. The flavor is
sweet and mildly subacid, with a prominent aroma reminiscent of wild blackberries.
Main features | Cultivar | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shawnee | Choctaw | Navaho | Arapaho | |
Harvest date | ||||
First | June 5 | May 28 | June 14 | June 3 |
Last | July 10 | June 23 | July 25 | July 1 |
Fruit (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best) | ||||
Seed weight, mg | 4.0 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 2.7 |
Firmness | 7.5 | 7.2 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
Flavor | 7.2 | 8.2 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
Soluble solids, % | 8.7 | 8.3 | 10.8 | 9.1 |
Plant (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best) | ||||
Vigor | 10.0 | 9.2 | 7.2 | 7.7 |
Winter injury | 9.3 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 9.5 |
Cultivar | Yield, kg/ha | Berry weight, g |
---|---|---|
Clarksville | ||
Shawnee | 15700 | 6.9 |
Choctaw | 10600 | 5.0 |
Navaho | 10800 | 4.8 |
Arapaho | 6300 | 5.1 |
Hope | ||
Shawnee | 11000 | 6.1 |
Choctaw | 12900 | 4.3 |
Navaho | 4900 | 4.3 |
Arapaho | 8600 | 4.7 |
Fayetteville | ||
Shawnee | 14500 | 6.0 |
Choctaw | 13600 | 4.5 |
Navaho | 15300 | 4.8 |
Arapaho | 9500 | 4.1 |
Relevant documents
Useful Growing Guides:
Reviews of the variety Arapaho
ARAPAHO BLACKBERRY VARIETY - Helpful Information with Dale Collins from Presidential Gardens
Review from [MISSY GAY]
Got 4 plants 5 yrs ago. Massive berries & new plants pop up to replace old ones. Easy to work with (No thorns!). I train mine up on a 5 ft high frame. Easier at my age to pick. Not so much crawling under! I let mine get quite tall as I have the room & I get more berries. You'll love these!
Review from [SASHA]
This came as a bareroot n I planted in a shady spot with minimal sunlight. First year it did bear few fruits...this year it had around 100 berries. I had to cover the entire Bush with mosquito netting as Japanese Beetles munch on leaves. The plant is around 9ft tall n its spreading around 5 ft. Grows vigorously! In fall we prune n by early summer the bush is filled with leaves n flowers.
Review from [FROG FOOT HOLLAR]
Planting my three Arapaho blackberry plants and trellising them to help control them in Super Frog Mode
Review from [VERITAS16338]
Review from [MIDWEST GARDENER]