Lucretia
Date: 2021-11-15, updated: 2023-03-09
Very old American variety with pretty shiny black-purple berries, known from 1875
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Lucretia'
Variety denomination 'Lucretia'
Plants are thorny
Bushes have trailing canes
Fruit weight is 5 g
Berries have a rounded shape
Fruiting habit floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the second week of June
Ripening date (regular) - fourth week of July
Cold hardiness is low
Country of origin United States
Current status - obsolete or rarely used
Lucretia blackberry produces shiny black-puple berries on vigorous bushes. It is one of the oldest American varieties (known from 1875).
The early summer flowers (Lucretia blooms in the mid-June) make this plant a beautiful addition to the landscape. Dewberry Lucretia gives ripe berries from late July to mid-September. This cultivar has dark green foliage that grows on trailing canes that need to be trained on stakes or trellises. If this plant grows on a support it makes for cleaner fruit and easier harvests. Otherwise it will trail on the ground and if left to ramble, plants produce a 60-100 cm deep tangle of thorny stems. Harvest is big, but the berries quality is low. Taste is unmemorable and inexpressive, berries are soft and doesn't have postharvest potential. Flavor is almost completely missing. Drupelets are large, but badly filled. Fruit's form are unstable during the season. Berry weight is about 4 g.
Winter hardiness is low. Also this variety is very receptive to anthracnose and orange rust.
The early summer flowers (Lucretia blooms in the mid-June) make this plant a beautiful addition to the landscape. Dewberry Lucretia gives ripe berries from late July to mid-September. This cultivar has dark green foliage that grows on trailing canes that need to be trained on stakes or trellises. If this plant grows on a support it makes for cleaner fruit and easier harvests. Otherwise it will trail on the ground and if left to ramble, plants produce a 60-100 cm deep tangle of thorny stems. Harvest is big, but the berries quality is low. Taste is unmemorable and inexpressive, berries are soft and doesn't have postharvest potential. Flavor is almost completely missing. Drupelets are large, but badly filled. Fruit's form are unstable during the season. Berry weight is about 4 g.
Winter hardiness is low. Also this variety is very receptive to anthracnose and orange rust.