Castilla (Andean berry)

Andean blackberry (Castilla blackberry) is a traditional crop grown by small and medium producers in the highland intertropical region such as Columbia, Ecuador and other Andean countries. Fruit is medium-large, has rounded shape, reaches a size up to 20 mm in diameter. Plants are look like perennial bush-vine growing to 3 m in height. The stems are cylindrical, long, erect, without villi, light green, red or dark brown and with prickly spines curved gradually tapering from base to tip. Sometimes the stems are covered by a kind of blue-white powder. The inflorescences are lax and condensed, with 15 to 22 flowers and thorny pedicels without villi. Yield is about 5 t/ha. Averaged berry weight is between 4 and 7 g. Ripen fruit have moderate firmness and are juicy. Berry shape and appearance is from hairy to glabrous, red or black, from oblong to rounded, with recurved sepals and with 70 to 100 drupelets per berry. They are dark-red or purple when ripe and have a unique, heady, pleasant aroma and bittersweet flavor. Andean blackberry is very popular and exported as frozen semi-finished or dried product.
Castilla requires pruning to encourage production.