When I started growing blackberries, I wondered if there was something crazy about that.  I put a lot of effort into eradicating the invasive Himalayan blackberries that had taken over large swaths of my property.  There are still a lot of those present.  However, it's difficult to harvest the Himalayans, due to their incredible size, and the need to reach berries sometimes held 10 to 15 feet high, above vines that feel like barbed wire or worse, tangled together.  It's an ordeal.  And to be honest, I don't think Himalayan blackberries are all that tasty.

Two years ago I bought Prime Ark Freedom as tissue culture plants from Starks, and Ebony King as bare root canes, spur of the moment buys from Lowes (I think).  Later, I bought Columbia Star as a 1-gallon potted specimen from Yard and Garden Land.  Last year, I bought Triple Crown as a 1-gallon plant from Tsugawa, and some Arapaho as bare root canes from Lowes.  That rounds out my collection.

Deer and/or  rabbits ate several of the tissue culture Prime Ark Freedom plants.  I started with 6 plants, and wound up with 2, although a 3rd came back several months later.  In the winter 2016-2017, all but one PAF were severely damaged, but ultimately came back and one bore its first primocane berries, which were large, juicy, and full of flavor.  The biggest blackberries I have ever seen.  The Ebony King was not damaged, and neither was the Columbia Star.  Last winter was much milder, and all of the primocanes survived to become floricanes this year.

Over the past 2 or 3 weeks, the three older types have been bearing, so I get to do a taste test.  This is not a blinded test, although I am near-sighted and have a cataract.  🙂  Here are my amateur observations.  I'm posting here, because when I looked for information, it was difficult to find despite a lot of searching.

Prime Ark Freedom.  This is my favorite, so far.  The primocanes bear late into the fall - until freezing.  The floricanes started bearing about last week.  The berries are huge, juicy, and flavorful.  Some people don't like the seeds.  I don't mind them.  Each cane is very productive.  I'm harvesting now, and there are berries that are still green.  So I expect at least a few weeks of harvest.  They are very vigorous, and thornless.  I do tip at 3 feet, but they grew to 8 feet tall anyway.

Columbia Star.  I was prepared to like this better than PAF.  Columbia Star is a Western type of blackberry.  They trail, which takes some maintenance but not bad.  They started to ripen about one week ahead of PAF, and are almost done in 2 or 3 weeks.  I don't think they are as juicy or flavorful as PAF.  I also don't think there is much difference in the seediness.  If I didn't have the PAF, I wouldn't think as much of it, but to my senses, Columbia Star comes in 2nd.

Ebony King.  Ebony King is a cultivar that's been around quite a long time.  It's hard to find a lot about it.  It was sold as thornless, but isn't.  I know it's also not the Himalayan Blackberry because it is a lot less vigorous, and has better flavor.  These just started to ripen, so are behind Columbia Star and Prime Ark Freedom.  The berries are round, and about half as big as PAF, maybe 1/3 as big.  Still, they are very juicy.  I think maybe a few less seeds.  On some days, I think Ebony King has the best flavor of the three, on other days, I think Prime Ark Freedom has the best flavor.  Ebony King seems less productive than the other two.  The thorns can be annoying, but if I didn't have thornless cultivars for comparison, I'd think they are very easy to navigate, compared to Himalayans.

Of the two newer plants, I am prepared to really love Triple Crown.  I've read many rave reviews of that cultivar.  It will have a few berries this year, but for a fair test, I should compare them to the others when the plants are more mature next year.  Ditto for Arapaho, which I bought hoping for extended season.  As of now, both Triple Crown and Arapaho will give me a taste on the florcanes that grew last year, but the primocanes that grew this year dwarf last year's growth.  Even so, PAF is more vigorous, so far, than either of those.

All of my blackberries are in fenced beds now.  Thorns are there for a reason, and deer and rabbits are quick to discover the joys of thornlessness.  I also have bird nets, although so far birds have not been a big problem. 

Of the producing berries, here are my favorites.

Flavor:  (1) Prime Ark Freedom.  (2) Ebony King.  (3) Columbia Star.

Convenience.  (1) Prime Ark Freedom.  (2) Columbia Star.  (3). Ebony King (mainly due to thorns).

Productivity.  (1)  Prime Ark Freedom.  (2)  Columbia Star.  (3).  Ebony King.

Vigor.  (1)  Prime Ark Freedom.  (2).  Columbia Star.  (3).  Ebony King.

Seediness.  I can't tell much difference.  Maybe PAF is more seedy, but it doesn't bother me.

Hardiness.   Too early to say.  PAF may not tolerate the coldest winters, at least in its first year from tissue culture.  Last winter the primocanes overwintered without problems.

Disease and inset infestation:  No problem with any of these, so far, even in ground that was cleared of Himalayan Blackberries the year prior.

Observations, disagreements, and comments are welcome.   As noted above, I wrote this because I couldn't find much information, beyond promotional, on many blackberry cultivars, especially in the Pacific NW / Portland area (or in my case, Battle Ground).  I hope to be able to report on the other two cultivars in another year or so.

It's very nice being able to pick blackberries and eat them by the handfulls, while out doing gardening and chores.  Most do not make it back to the kitchen, regardless of the cultivar.