Perennial Carnation
Sweetie Pie is a thornless blackberry cultivar bred from a sophisticated cross of Navaho and MSUS29 (itself a descendant of Humble, Brazos, and Navaho genetics). Selected and tested at Mississippi State University's Poplarville station beginning in 1996, this variety combines disease resistance with vigorous growth and a trailing habit that makes it easier to manage than its thorny cousins. Hardy in zones 6 through 8, Sweetie Pie produces abundant floricanes on thornless canes, delivering the delicious flavor blackberry lovers crave without the painful prickles.
—
—
6-8
?in H x ?in W
Perennial
High
Hover over chart points for details
Sweetie Pie emerged from deliberate breeding work at Mississippi State University, combining the best traits of three heritage blackberry lines into a single thornless plant. The trailing growth habit and prolific floricane production mean you get generous harvests year after year without fighting through thorns. Its resistance to Rosette disease sets it apart from older thornless varieties that struggle with this persistent problem, making it a genuinely improved cultivar rather than simply a thorn-free version of an older type.
Fresh blackberries from Sweetie Pie work beautifully eaten straight from the cane, transformed into preserves and jams, or incorporated into desserts where their delicious flavor shines. The thornless canes make harvesting practical for families with children or anyone who prefers picking without protective gear.
Plant Sweetie Pie in early spring or fall, spacing plants 4 to 5 feet apart to accommodate their trailing growth habit. Choose a location with full sun and ensure the soil drains well. Blackberry plants establish best when planted at the same depth they were growing in their nursery container; firm soil around the base and water deeply to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.
Blackberries are ready to harvest when fully black and slightly soft to the touch, typically in mid to late summer depending on your location. Pick berries that release easily from the cane with a gentle tug; if they resist, they're not quite ripe. Harvest every few days as fruit ripens throughout the season to encourage continued production and prevent overripe berries from dropping.
Sweetie Pie's trailing growth habit means it sprawls along the ground naturally, but you can manage it by pruning back dead or damaged floricanes after fruiting to tidy up the plant and encourage vigorous new growth for next season. Remove any canes that show signs of disease or winter damage early in spring. Because this variety produces numerous floricanes, selective pruning helps direct energy toward the strongest canes and improves air circulation.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Sweetie Pie traces its lineage to careful crossing work at Mississippi State University's Poplarville research station. Plant breeders crossed Navaho blackberries with MSUS29, a seedling that itself carried genetics from Humble and Brazos blackberries through its Navaho parent. The resulting plant was evaluated and selected in 1996, tested under the research designation MSUS119 before being released as Sweetie Pie. This controlled breeding program specifically aimed to combine the thornless trait with disease resistance and superior flavor, representing the kind of methodical crop improvement that happened throughout the late twentieth century as university breeding programs worked to enhance home garden varieties.”