{"id":6659,"date":"2026-03-26T00:24:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T07:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/26\/learn-how-to-plant-and-grow-marionberries\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T00:24:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T07:24:58","slug":"learn-how-to-plant-and-grow-marionberries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/26\/learn-how-to-plant-and-grow-marionberries\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn How to Plant and Grow Marionberries"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rubus<\/em> x \u2018Marion\u2019<\/h2>\n

If you ever visit Oregon, be prepared to fall in love with the local hero: the marionberry. It\u2019s everywhere.<\/p>\n

At every restaurant, grocery store, and tourist shop.<\/p>\n

In the summer, when the 33 million-plus pounds of local marionberries are ripening, Oregonians are stuffing their faces with cobbler, pie, ice cream, beer, and shakes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just Oregon that\u2019s enraptured. The marionberry is arguably the most popular trailing blackberry in the world, and for good reason.<\/p>\n

The berries are big and juicy, with an earthy berry sweetness that is ideal for just about any dish. Locals call it the \u201ccabernet of blackberries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technically, the name is Rubus<\/em> x \u2018Marion\u2019 but you\u2019ll see it styled as \u201cmarionberry\u201d and \u201cmarion berry.\u201d<\/p>\n

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We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links,\u00a0<\/em>we may earn a commission<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

However it is spelled, this blackberry cultivar somehow improves on the luscious flavor of the original fruit. It\u2019s a bit like a blend between a raspberry and a blackberry.<\/p>\n

Because the fruit is juicy and soft, it\u2019s almost impossible to find sold fresh outside of the state of Oregon.<\/p>\n

Most marionberries are shipped frozen or processed. So what do you do if you crave the sweet zing of the fresh fruits? Grow your own!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re about to help you do, and here\u2019s what we\u2019ll talk about to that end:<\/p>\n

The marionberry is a hybrid of two types of blackberry: the Chehalem and the Olallie berry.<\/p>\n

These berries are hybrids themselves, with a bit of the North American native berry Rubus ursinus<\/em>, some of the highly invasive Himalayan blackberry (R. armeniacus<\/em>) and a dash of red raspberry (R. idaeus<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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To be specific, the marionberry has 44 percent of R. ursinus<\/em>, 25 percent of R. armeniacus<\/em>, and six percent of R. idaeus<\/em> in its genetic makeup.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s not potentially invasive like the Himalayan blackberry.<\/p>\n

There are no escaped marionberries in Oregon, and that\u2019s because they don\u2019t grow from seed and they don\u2019t propagate from the buds on the roots like Himalayan blackberries do.<\/p>\n

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Quick Look<\/h2>\n
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Common name(s):<\/strong> Marion, marionberry<\/p>\n

Plant type:<\/strong> Trailing perennial cane berry<\/p>\n

Hardiness (USDA Zone):<\/strong> 6-9<\/p>\n

Native to:<\/strong> Oregon<\/p>\n

Bloom time \/ season:<\/strong> Summer bearing<\/p>\n

Exposure:<\/strong> Full sun<\/p>\n

Soil type:<\/strong> Slightly sandy to slightly clay, well-draining<\/p>\n

Soil pH:<\/strong> 5.6-6.5, slightly acidic<\/p>\n

Time to maturity:<\/strong> 2 years<\/p>\n

Spacing<\/strong>: 4 feet<\/p>\n

Mature size: <\/strong>20 feet long by one foot tall (without support)<\/p>\n

Water Needs:<\/b> <\/span>Moderate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Taxonomy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Order:<\/strong> Rosales<\/p>\n

Family:<\/strong> Rosaceae<\/p>\n

Genus:<\/strong> Rubus<\/em><\/em> x<\/p>\n

Cultivar:<\/strong> \u2018Marion\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The marionberry was bred by Oregon State University agricultural scientist Dr. George Waldo in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1948.<\/p>\n

Corvallis, by the way, is in Marion County, which is where the berry derives its name. That\u2019s right, it has no relation to the famous former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry.<\/p>\n

It was released to the public in 1956 in cooperation with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and quickly rocketed to stardom in the state.<\/p>\n

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Marion County still produces 90 percent of the world\u2019s crops, and if you visit Corvallis in August, you\u2019ll be surrounded by more marionberry goodness than you thought possible.<\/p>\n

The flavor is earthy, sweet, with just a bit of tang, the seeds are tiny, and the receptacle is narrow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n