Rubus Tayberry Bounty Berry

The Tayberry Bounty Berry 'Yantai' is an exceptionally productive variety, capable of producing 30kg of fruit per plant. It is a perennial vine-plant with the growth habit of a blackberry, with long, flexible, slightly spiny branches and rapid growth. In summer, it produces tasty fruits similar to large elongated raspberries, which are dark red to violet when ripe. This variety is self-fertile, very vigorous, and hardy. Without a doubt, this little fruit will delight food lovers. Plant it in ordinary, rich, loose soil, in full sun or partial shade.

Muroid (Rubus × loganobaccus) Bounty Berry 'Yantai' belongs to the large Rosaceae family. The tayberry is a crossbreeding between a raspberry and a wild bramble*. This cultivar develops branches that can reach 2.5m (8ft) in length, with a stump that can occupy 2m (7ft) of space. The foliage is deciduous, taking on beautiful red to violet colours in autumn before falling. It is of a bright green colour, composed of entire, wavy and dentate leaves, very similar to raspberry leaves. The stems have some small spines inherited from its parents. Each stem lives only to bear fruit (2 years) and will be replaced gradually by suckers coming from the stump. Production reaches its normal level in the third year after planting. The nectar-rich and particularly abundant flowering shows numerous small white flowers of 1.5cm (1in) in diameter, grouped in clusters. It takes place in May-June, sometimes until July depending on the climate. The forming fruits are composed of drupes clustered on the receptacle. These large, elongated fruits, measuring up to 3cm (1in) in length, appear first green then raspberry-red and finally violet-red when ripe. They are harvested between July and early September. They must be picked when fully ripe, when they are both sweet and tangy, combining the fragrance of raspberries and blackberries. The fruits can be eaten fresh from the harvest, or frozen, and are perfect for making preserves.

The Tayberry Bounty Berry produces very long, flexible branches that must be trained (on a trellis, fence, or lattice). Hardy and easy to grow, it thrives in ordinary soil, with a preference for fertile, well-drained, and slightly moist soil. The shelter of a sunny or partially shaded wall will suit it perfectly and will highlight the bare wood of the flexible branches in winter. Tayberries, like raspberries, contain two specific sugars, levulose and fructose. They contain very little sucrose, so they are not very energetic. The fruits also contain ellagic acid, tannins, vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium.

*This hybridisation was first carried out in 1881 in Santa Cruz by James Harvey Logan, who named his creation 'Loganberry'. There are several varieties of these hybrids. They have vegetative characteristics similar to those of blackberries: great vigour and a bushy habit. However, the fruits are closer to raspberries, being darker, larger, and more elongated.