Youngberry
Encyclopedia
Youngberry is a complex hybrid
between three different species from the genus Rubus
, the raspberries
, blackberries
, and dewberries
of the rose family. The berries of the plant are eaten fresh or used to make juice, jam, etc.
Byrnes M. Young, a businessman in Morgan City, Louisiana
, who loved science and plants, had an ongoing correspondence with Luther Burbank
, who had created the 'Phenomenal' blackberry–raspberry hybrid. While he had no success growing either loganberries
(another blackberry-raspberry hybrid) or 'Phenomenal' berries, Young crossed the 'Phenomenal' with the Austin-Mayes dewberry
that was better adapted to his area. This produced ‘Youngberry’ in 1905, which was then released in 1926.
While the youngberry is not grown much in the U.S.
, it is grown in Australia
, New Zealand
and South Africa
and was a parent of the commercially successful olallie blackberry
and a grandparent of the marionberry
.
Like its 'Phenomenal' parent, it is a hexaploid.
Hybrid
In biology and specifically, genetics, the term hybrid has several meanings, all referring to the offspring of sexual reproduction.#In general usage, hybrid is synonymous with heterozygous: any offspring resulting from the mating of two distinctly homozygous individuals#a genetic hybrid carries two...
between three different species from the genus Rubus
Rubus
Rubus is a large genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of these plants have woody stems with prickles like roses; spines, bristles, and gland-tipped hairs are...
, the raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, blackberries
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
, and dewberries
Dewberry
The dewberries are a group of species in the genus Rubus, section Rubus, closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing brambles with berries reminiscent of the raspberry, but are usually purple to black instead of red.Dewberries are common throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere,...
of the rose family. The berries of the plant are eaten fresh or used to make juice, jam, etc.
Byrnes M. Young, a businessman in Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
, who loved science and plants, had an ongoing correspondence with Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science.He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 54-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables...
, who had created the 'Phenomenal' blackberry–raspberry hybrid. While he had no success growing either loganberries
Loganberry
The loganberry is an hexaploid hybrid produced from crossing an octaploid blackberry and a diploid red raspberry. The plant and the fruit resemble the blackberry more than the raspberry, but the fruit colour is a dark red, rather than black...
(another blackberry-raspberry hybrid) or 'Phenomenal' berries, Young crossed the 'Phenomenal' with the Austin-Mayes dewberry
Dewberry
The dewberries are a group of species in the genus Rubus, section Rubus, closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing brambles with berries reminiscent of the raspberry, but are usually purple to black instead of red.Dewberries are common throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere,...
that was better adapted to his area. This produced ‘Youngberry’ in 1905, which was then released in 1926.
While the youngberry is not grown much in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it is grown in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and was a parent of the commercially successful olallie blackberry
Olallieberry
The olallieberry is a cross between the loganberry and the youngberry, each of which is itself a cross between blackberry and another berry .The original cross was made in 1935 by S. J...
and a grandparent of the marionberry
Marionberry
The Marion cultivar or Marion blackberry, marketed as , is a hybrid caneberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University. It is a cross between the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' berries...
.
Like its 'Phenomenal' parent, it is a hexaploid.