The tayberry ( Rubus fruticosus × Rubus idaeus) is a cultivated shrub in the genus Rubus of the family Rosaceae patented in 1979 as a cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry, and named after the River Tay in Scotland.
The fruit is sweeter, much larger, and more aromatic than that of the loganberry, itself a blackberry and red raspberry cross. The tayberry is grown for its edible fruits which can be eaten raw or cooked, but the fruit do not pick easily by hand and cannot be machine harvested, so they have not become a commercially grown berry crop. As a domestic crop, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Description
The mature tayberry fruitreddish-purple when ripeis cone-shaped, and can be up to long. Similar to the blackberry, the receptacle (the "core") remains in the berry when it is picked. The plant has a growth habit similar to that of the blackberry. Fruits grow on short laterals on prickly canes long.
The cropping period is long, from early mid- to late-summer.
Having a strong flavor, the tayberry is less acidic than the loganberry.
Taxonomy
The tayberry was patented by Derek L. Jennings of Dundee, Scotland. It was intended to be an improvement on the loganberry, which is a chance
hexaploid hybrid that received four copies of the blackberry genome and two copies of the raspberry genome. Jennings aimed to replicate the loganberry's ancestry but with improved blackberry and raspberry parents, starting with the American 'Aurora' blackberry which was superior to the Aughinbaugh’s blackberry that was one of the parents of the loganberry. After 5 years of effort, he developed a suitable raspberry and crossed it with the 'Aurora' blackberry.
The tayberry was named after the
river Tay in Scotland and released in 1979 by the Scottish Horticultural Research Institute, Invergowrie, Scotland.
Habitat
The tayberry will grow reasonably well in many soils. Tayberries produce the most berries when in full sun and in well-drained soil with a high amount of organic materials. Supporting the canes is not crucial, but it will help prevent diseases by improving the air flow between branches. Tayberries should be ready to harvest in early July, depending on the type.
[ ] Frost is rarely a problem, as tayberries flower late in the season; plants need protection below . Like many plant hybrids, tayberries show good disease resistance, and the plant has been shown to be resistant to late yellow rust.
[Luffman M, Buszard D. A note on the susceptibility of six red raspberry cultivars and Tayberry to fruit infection by late yellow rust. Phytoprotection. 71(2):93-96, 1990]
Tayberries are propagated by planting canes; the recommended time is mid-October, though any time up to mid-March may work if soil is not frozen or waterlogged.[Klavina D, Ievinsh G. Growth of tissue culture and changes in oxidative enzyme activity of Sorbus and tayberry cultivars during cold storage. Acta Universitatis Latviensis 745 (Biology):179-186, 2008.]
Uses
The tayberry can be eaten fresh or used for making jams,
[Rachel Saunders ] pies, wine, or beer.
While it has been reported that a commercial yield up to of berries can be produced,[Val Bourne ] This has hindered their success as a commercial crop. Tayberries are mainly grown by allotment holders,
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