Botanical Name: Rubus
Description: Chester has all the hardiness, vigor, and productiveness of the wild blackberries, but this hybrid is a bred-for-the-garden plant and nearly thornless. It shrugs off winter cold in the North and does well in the South too. Its berries are firm, big, sweet, and plentiful. The harvest lasts through July and August, and the picking is easy because of the 4- to 6-foot plant's few thorns. Chester is also long-lived and will fill many summers with delicious berries.