Prime-Ark Freedom thornless blackberry plant with large ripe fruit for sale at Advanced Nursery Growers in DeFuniak Springs, Florida

Prime-Ark® Traveler Blackberry

$22.00

Buy Prime-Ark® Freedom Thornless Blackberry plants for sale at Advanced Nursery Growers in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Prime-Ark® Freedom is a thornless, primocane-fruiting blackberry developed by the University of Arkansas. It can produce berries on both second-year floricanes and new first-year primocanes, providing the potential for two harvest seasons each year.

This productive variety produces very large, attractive blackberries with a sweet flavor and relatively small seeds. Its thornless canes, very low chilling requirement, and ability to fruit on new growth make it an excellent choice for home gardens in North Florida and along the Gulf Coast.

Plant Details:

Plant Type: Perennial fruiting bramble
Botanical Name: Rubus ‘APF-153T’
Trade Name: Prime-Ark® Freedom
Blackberry Type: Thornless and primocane-fruiting
Mature Size: Approximately 5–6 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide when maintained
Growth Habit: Vigorous and upright
Sun: Full sun
USDA Zones: 6–9
Chill Hours: Approximately 100 hours
Bloom Time: Spring on floricanes and later on new primocanes
Harvest Time: An early crop from second-year canes with the potential for another crop from first-year canes in late summer or fall
Fruit: Very large, sweet blackberries with relatively small seeds
Thorns: Thornless
Pollination: Self-fertile; another blackberry variety is not required
Soil: Fertile, slightly acidic, well-drained soil
Water: Keep evenly moist, especially during flowering and fruit development
Spacing: Approximately 3–5 feet apart
Support: Stiff canes may stand upright, but a trellis makes harvesting and maintenance easier
Landscape Uses: Home orchards, edible gardens, berry rows, raised beds, fruiting fences, and large containers

North Florida Growing Note: Prime-Ark® Freedom’s very low chilling requirement makes it well suited to North Florida’s mild winters. The spring floricane crop is generally the most dependable. Extreme summer heat can interfere with flowering and fruit development on the later primocane crop, so fall production may vary from year to year.

Pruning Options:

For two potential crops: After the floricane crop finishes, remove only the canes that produced fruit. Keep the new primocanes for a possible late-season crop and the following spring’s early crop.
For one simplified crop: Cut all canes to the ground during winter. New primocanes will grow and may produce a late-summer or fall crop, although high temperatures can reduce production in North Florida.

Fruit-Handling Note: Prime-Ark® Freedom is excellent for eating fresh, desserts, preserves, and home use. Its postharvest storage life is more limited than that of firmer shipping varieties, so berries are best enjoyed or refrigerated soon after picking.

Local Pickup & Limited Shipping

Local pickup is available for most plants and trees at our nursery in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Limited shipping may be available for select trees, liners, and smaller plants in 3-gallon containers or smaller. Shipping availability depends on the plant variety, size, quantity, destination, and packaging requirements. Shipping charges are calculated separately.

Please contact us before ordering if shipping is needed to confirm that the plant can be shipped and to receive the current shipping cost.