Yes, thornless raspberries absolutely exist. These varieties lack the sharp prickles found on traditional raspberry canes, making the process of growing and harvesting the fruit much more manageable. Their development allows gardeners to grow raspberries without the typical scratches and discomfort associated with thorny types.
The Breeding of Thornless Varieties
The absence of thorns is a trait selectively introduced into the cultivated raspberry genome. Breeders use a recessive genetic trait found in some wild Rubus species, cross-pollinating thorny varieties with thornless ones, and then selecting the thornless offspring. This process eliminates the physical barrier to harvesting the delicate fruit and minimizes damage to the canes during maintenance.
It is important to distinguish between truly “spineless” cultivars and those that are considered “nearly thornless.” Truly spineless plants, such as ‘Joan J’, possess no prickles whatsoever. Cultivars described as nearly thornless, like ‘Canby’ or ‘Nova’, have soft, fewer, or smaller prickles that do not pose the same threat as robust thorns. Selective breeding continues to refine this trait, aiming for high-performing, completely smooth-caned plants.
Identifying Common Thornless Cultivars
Several highly regarded thornless cultivars are available across different types of raspberries. Among the red, summer-bearing varieties, which fruit on second-year canes (floricanes), ‘Canby’ is a popular choice known for its sweet, juicy, bright red berries and excellent cold hardiness. ‘Nova’ is another nearly thornless red floricane that is highly adaptable and tolerates a wide range of growing conditions.
For those interested in everbearing or primocane-fruiting types, which produce fruit on first-year canes, ‘Joan J’ is a spineless red variety known for its high yields and large fruit size. Another successful primocane option is ‘Himbo-Top’, which produces large, flavorful, conical red berries on strong, upright, thornless canes. These primocane types offer the advantage of a fall harvest, often beginning in the first year of planting.
Thornless varieties also extend beyond the common red raspberry color. The purple raspberry ‘Glencoe’ is a thornless hybrid of red and black raspberries, producing dark red to purple berries with a distinctive tangy-sweet flavor. Similarly, the purple variety ‘Born Free’ offers a thornless option with deep purple fruit. Even yellow raspberries, such as ‘Fall Gold’, are often described as being nearly thornless.
Comparing Vigor, Yield, and Flavor
The primary practical advantage of thornless varieties is the dramatically reduced labor and easier harvesting, which eliminates the discomfort of picking fruit from thorny canes. This ease of handling also translates to less damage to the canes during pruning and maintenance. However, thornless varieties sometimes faced historical compromises in other performance metrics compared to their thorny counterparts.
Early thornless breeding efforts occasionally resulted in plants with slightly reduced plant vigor or greater susceptibility to certain diseases. For example, the popular ‘Canby’ cultivar is highly susceptible to Phytophthora root rot, a disease that thrives in wet soils. In contrast, varieties like ‘Nova’ maintain good vigor and exhibit resistance to common cane diseases, showing that breeders have successfully overcome many of these initial trade-offs.
The notion that thornless raspberries lack flavor compared to thorny ones is largely a myth, as modern breeding selects for both the spineless trait and superior fruit quality. Cultivars like ‘Himbo-Top’ are recognized for their great raspberry flavor, while ‘Joan J’ is prized for its high yield of large fruit, despite its flavor being described as fair. Ultimately, the best choice for a home gardener depends on balancing the high-yield and ease-of-harvest benefits of a thornless cane against the specific disease resistance and flavor profile of individual cultivars.