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I am shocked to say the least. I was outdoors last night weeding my flowerbeds and some shrubs and I noticed the strangest thing. Our blackberry plants had something I'd never in my life seen. It's also got another berry of a different species growing on the exact same plant. Can someone, anyone answer this question?

blackberry bush

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    Are you talking about the unripe blackberries, or the ripe blackberries that are next to them?
    – Niall C. ♦
    Aug 11, 2015 at 21:08
  • So you're shocked that there are unripened blackberries? I'm shocked that you've never noticed the presence of unripe blackberries before. Try eating one, you'll become clear on the fact that it's unripe, not a red-when-ripe berry.
    – Ecnerwal
    Aug 11, 2015 at 22:19

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From what I can see, you appear to have only one bush, with blackberries in various stages of their life. A similar picture can be found here, along with some good information about the plant.

The berries are a yellowish white initially, and, as they ripen, turn first red, then black. The red berries are fine to eat but quite tart, whereas the mature fruit is much softer and more sweet.

There are a number of varieties which have different habits and fruiting schedules. I'm in Zone 6a and ours fully ripen in July, producing a large crop which turn our hands purple when we pick them! For us, that's part of the fun!

Edit: Thanks to the comments below, I learned that I provided some incorrect information about the effect of trimming on crop production. I've removed it! In case you're interested, a number of questions on the site offer thorough, accurate, instructions about how to grow and care for this plant. You can find them by searching the tag.

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    Sue, good answer except for the trimming: Usually blackberries and raspberries carry fruit on two-year old canes, so cut out the ones that bore fruit this year but leave the strong new canes/shots/"whatever-the-correct-term-is" from this year or you might end up with nothing next year. (Some raspberries are fall-bearing and fruit on new growth but if uncut will fruit in summer and fall, effectively weakening the plant or yielding only little fruit each time. So read the label or know your breed...)
    – Stephie ♦
    Aug 12, 2015 at 5:29
  • I'm not sure on how reliable the advice is, but I have heard of pruning back some of the new growth to encourage better fruiting on the remaining canes.
    – GardenerJ
    Aug 12, 2015 at 13:45
  • There's at least one variety of blackberries that can fruit on the same year's growth, but I don't suppose most people have that variety. I wouldn't be surprised if it's new.
    – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
    Aug 12, 2015 at 23:10

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