Rubus fruticosus Medana Tayberry

Rubus fruticosus 'Medana Tayberry' is a hybrid between two botanically close plants, the blackberry and the raspberry. It is a climbing plant with long, flexible, thorny branches that need to be trained. Self-fertile, it produces large raspberry-like fruits, dark red in colour, which are delicious when eaten fresh and can also be used in desserts or jams. It is a vigorous and highly productive plant, hardy and self-fertile, yielding an abundant harvest in July-August. It should be planted in ordinary, neutral to slightly alkaline soil, that is not too dry to moist, in full sun or partial shade.

Rubus fruticosus 'Medana Tayberry' belongs to the large and important Rosaceae family, which gives us so many ornamental species (roses obviously, and also photinia, cotoneaster, amelanchier), as well as most of our temperate climate fruit trees (pear, apple, cherry, peach, apricot, plum), and small fruits like strawberries. The genus Rubus is extremely diverse. Some are ornamental, with decorative or aesthetically pleasing flowers or white shoots, like Rubus thibetanus. Others have culinary value, such as raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and blackberries (Rubus fruticosus).

Rubus fruticosus 'Medana Tayberry' is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. Its habit is similar to that of blackberries and its fruits resemble raspberries. It is a climbing perennial plant, reaching about 2m (7ft) in height, and 1.5 to 2m (1 to 5ft) in width. It produces long, flexible, thorny stems that need to be trained on a trellis, arbour, or wire along a wall. Its deciduous foliage consists of dark green leaves with 3 leaflets. Self-fertile, its abundant and nectar-rich flowering consists of numerous small white to pinkish flowers, 1.5 to 2cm (1in) in diameter, clustered in bouquets in May and June. They then develop into large elongated fruits, resembling raspberries and reaching 4 to 5cm (2in) in length. Dark red when ripe, they are ready to be harvested in July and August. The production is concentrated over about 4 weeks, as this plant is not perpetual. Slightly less aromatic than raspberries, these fruits are nevertheless sweet and can be eaten fresh, in desserts, in pies, or used for making jelly. Highly productive, this variety can yield several kilos of fruit per established plant. This plant fruits on the previous year's branches. Each year, in autumn or spring, remove the fruiting stems at the base (leaving 2 to 3 buds) to allow new shoots to emerge. The shoots from the previous year will then bear fruit and so on.

'Medana Tayberry' is an easy-to-grow plant that will delight you with its large, delicious fruits. To fully enjoy summer, plant currants like the old variety 'Gloire des Sablons Rose', with its fragrant and slightly acidic light pink fruits.