The Tayberry is a cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry, and is named for its place of origin 30 years ago, in Scotland: the River Tay. The fruit is sweeter, much larger, and more aromatic than that of raspberries and loganberries. (Loganberries are themselves a blackberry and red raspberry cross.) Tayberries are mainly grown by artisans and backyard growers, and thus is a very rare crop.

The Tayberry fruit is very soft when ripe. It cannot be easily picked by hand and cannot be machine harvested, so they have not become a commercially grown berry crop. Being very delicate makes them difficult to pack and ship, so they’re only available at farmers markets or picked from the local growers.

The Tayberry fruits are cone shaped and are a reddish-purple color when ripe. They can be up to 1-1/2 inches long. Similar to the blackberry, the core remains in the berry when it is picked. The plant has a growth habit similar to that of the blackberry. Fruit grow on short laterals on prickly canes 6-7 feet long. This berry is harvested from early August through early October.

Come in or order some today, and see what is so remarkable about the Tayberry.