Chester Thornless Blackberry Bush
Rubus 'Chester Thornless'
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Chester Thornless Blackberry Bush - #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Chester Thornless Blackberry Bush highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Fragrant
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodEarly Spring, Late Spring
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Harvest Time

Growing Zones 5-8
Top producer Chester Blackberry (Rubus 'Chester Thornless') is a wonderfully self-fruitful, semi-upright thornless Blackberry that produces high yields of large, firm berries in the peak of summer! Perfect for all-around use as a healthy snack, baking, desserts, and preserves, the fruit is sweet and not tart. These firm berries are best when ripened on the vine, and Chester is a robust Blackberry variety that stands up against common blights and cold winters.
The pleated green leaves and Wild Rose-like pinkish-white flowers welcome spring and call pollinators to arrive in swarms to assist with your fruit pollination! The nearly thornless canes are a delight to harvest from and wonderfully kid-friendly! Songbirds will adore these ouch-free canes to nest in and take shelter in all year round! You may wish to employ some bird netting to discourage your feathered friends from absconding with all your delicious fruit!
Chester is a late-season floricane (summer-bearing) berry bush that is very disease-resistant and heat-tolerant throughout USDA growing zones 5-8 and is remarkably easy to grow! This cold-hardy beauty produces even after the temperatures drop below zero. As for gardeners in the south, these berries tolerate the heat well and even arid conditions. In fact, their deeply hued berries keep their ravishing color despite the heat.
Planting and Application:
Make use of your fence line or add a few Chester Thornless Blackberries to your veggie garden. Create hedges and privacy around your property without worrying about trespassers of both the two and four-legged kind! These flowering and fruiting ornamental bushes are perfect for double-duty edible landscaping in any sunny location you have on your property!
Planted with an early and a mid-season producer to extend your harvest while increasing pollination amongst all bushes in the area! Use groupings of Blackberries to increase productivity and pollination, or a single specimen of these self-pollinating bushes! Chester Blackberry is great as a cottage garden backdrop or for casting shade in the herb and veggie garden! Birds adore these fruiting shrubs and nest and take shelter in them regularly!
Prepare your bakeware--you will want to fill up on these as you pick them fresh then use the rest in pies, jams, jellies, on your ice cream or yogurt, and anywhere else you can conceive to use them! And after you're all out of ideas, you can freeze the rest for smoothies.
- Deep Reddish-Black Berries
- Vigorous Growth & Highly Productive
- Summer Ripening Thornless Floricanes
- Wonderful Sweet Flavor - Not Tart!
- Gorgeous White Flowers for Pollinators
- Edible Landscaping, Hedges & Wildlife-Friendly Groupings
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Blackberry bushes thrive in full sun or partial shade - but you will enjoy more fruit in full sun! Plant your berry bush in a well-drained, enriched site with a 3-4 inch layer of arborist mulch chips to hold in moisture and insulate the roots. Provide new shrubs with consistent moisture and regular fertility. Once established, provide extra moisture when fruiting and all summer. Chester Blackberries however thrive in poorer soil and less moisture once established!
Pruning Floricane Blackberries
After harvest, cut back older canes to the ground and dream of your impending harvest next year. Remove the canes completely after they have fruited over their entire length to encourage the production of new canes.
- Full Sun & Partial Shade
- Enriched Well-Drained Soil & Moderate Moisture Needs
- Cold Hardy/Heat-Tolerant Bushes!
- Self-Pollinating - More Berries With Another Bush
- Drought-Resistant & Disease Resistant
- Prune Floricanes After Fruiting
- 600-700 Chill Hours
When you see your Chester Thornless Blackberry covered in plump berries, you may wonder if it's black magic. Don't worry - it's just a phenomenal variety with kid-friendly magical Blackberries. If you don't have the patience for unproductive plants, you will love this Thornless Blackberry. Order your own today at NatureHills.com!