The common understanding of “berry” differs from its botanical definition. While fruits like strawberries and raspberries are not true berries botanically, others, such as bananas and tomatoes, are. Botanical classification categorizes fruits by their structural development from a flower’s ovary, clarifying the identity of fruits like the loganberry.
Unpacking the Loganberry
The loganberry is a fruit larger than a raspberry, typically cone-shaped and deep red to reddish-black. Its skin is firm yet tender, enclosing medium-sized seeds. Flavor-wise, it combines the tartness of a blackberry with the sweetness and aroma of a raspberry.
This hybrid fruit was created in 1881 by American horticulturist James Harvey Logan. It originated from a cross between the North American blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and the European raspberry (Rubus idaeus). The loganberry plant vines like a blackberry, though its canes are generally less thorny.
Botanical Definitions of Fruit
In botany, a fruit is the mature, ripened ovary of a flowering plant that contains seeds. Fruits are broadly categorized by their developmental origin. A “true berry” is a simple fleshy fruit that develops from a single ovary and typically contains many seeds, such as grapes, tomatoes, or bananas.
Other fruit types include aggregate fruits, which develop from a single flower with multiple separate ovaries that merge as they mature, like raspberries and blackberries. Drupes are simple fleshy fruits characterized by a hard, stony inner layer (pit or stone) enclosing a single seed, such as peaches, cherries, or olives. Lastly, accessory fruits incorporate tissue from parts of the flower other than just the ovary into the edible portion, with examples including strawberries (where the fleshy part comes from the receptacle) and apples (where the edible part includes the hypanthium).
The Loganberry’s True Identity
Despite its common name, the loganberry is not a “true berry” in botanical terms. Instead, it is classified as an aggregate fruit. This classification stems from its development from a single flower that contains multiple separate ovaries. Each small, individual segment of a loganberry is a tiny drupe, referred to as a drupelet, which forms around its own seed.
These numerous drupelets cluster on a central receptacle, forming the larger loganberry fruit. This structural arrangement, with many small, single-seeded units developing from distinct ovaries within one flower and coalescing, aligns with the botanical definition of an aggregate fruit.
Cultivation and Culinary Uses
Loganberries are cultivated in regions like Oregon, Washington, England, and Australia. They thrive in sunny locations with well-drained soil, tolerating some partial shade. These plants require space and support, often trained along fences or wire systems due to their rambling habit.
Loganberries typically fruit from July through August. While they can be eaten fresh, their tart and rich flavor makes them suitable for culinary applications. They are used in jams, jellies, pies, crumbles, and fruit syrups. Loganberries also make flavorful juices and can be incorporated into savory dishes, such as with game meats, providing a tart counterpoint.