How to Grow Raspberry 'Black Hawk'
Raspberry 'Black Hawk'
Rubus fruticosus × Rubus idaeus 'Black Hawk'
fruitBlack Hawk is a thornless blackberry-raspberry hybrid that produces large, glossy black berries with a sweet-tart flavor. This vigorous, semi-erect cane variety is prized for home gardens due to its lack of thorns, making harvesting easier and safer. It bears fruit on both floricanes (second-year canes) and primocanes (first-year canes), extending the harvest season.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Zones 6-9 are ideal; can succeed in zone 5 with winter protection
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Growth Stages
Establishment Year (Year 1)
Months 1-12Newly planted canes produce vigorous vegetative growth with multiple shoots emerging from the crown. Leaves are compound and serrated; minimal flowering occurs.
Water regularly to keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Remove all flowers the first year to redirect energy to root and cane development. Apply 2-3 inches of mulch around base. Prune out damaged or diseased canes.
Spring Growth (Year 2)
3-4 weeksEstablished floricanes (second-year canes from previous year) develop side branches and produce flower buds. New primocanes (first-year canes) emerge from the crown.
Thin floricanes to strongest 4-6 canes per hill. Top primocanes at 3-4 feet to encourage branching. Provide support with trellising or stakes. Apply balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) in early spring.
Flowering & Early Fruiting (Year 2 Late Spring/Early Summer)
6-8 weeksFloricanes produce clusters of small white-pink flowers that develop into green berries. Berries gradually ripen from red to black over 2-3 weeks.
Maintain consistent watering; irregular moisture causes misshapen fruit. Remove diseased or damaged berries. Scout for pests and diseases. Provide afternoon shade in very hot climates (90°F+).
Primocane Fruiting (Late Summer/Fall Year 2)
6-10 weeksNew primocanes flower and fruit on terminal portions, producing a second harvest. Berries are often larger than spring crop but may be fewer in number.
Continue consistent watering. Support heavily laden canes to prevent breakage. Harvest ripe berries promptly to encourage continued production. Do not prune primocanes at this stage.
Winter Dormancy & Annual Pruning (Late Fall/Winter)
3-4 monthsCanes become woody and dormant; foliage yellows and falls. Plant stores energy in roots and cane tissue. Floricanes that fruited become spent; primocanes harden off.
After leaf fall, prune spent floricanes at ground level. Remove weak, diseased, or crossing primocanes, leaving 4-6 strongest per hill. Top primocanes at 3-4 feet in late winter. In cold zone 5, apply mulch for winter protection.
Common Pests
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Handpick in early morning; use Japanese beetle traps away from plants; apply neem oil or spinosad in evening; encourage beneficial insects
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Prune and destroy infested canes below the wilting point; avoid pruning during egg-laying period (late spring); maintain plant vigor
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Spray with water to dislodge; use neem oil or horticultural soap; increase humidity; avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen
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Strong water spray; insecticidal soap; neem oil; encourage ladybugs and lacewings; avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer
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Prune out and destroy infested canes; sterilize pruning tools; do not leave cane stubs
Uses
Fresh eating and cooking
CulinaryBlack Hawk berries have excellent sweet-tart flavor ideal for eating fresh, in desserts, jams, pies, and smoothies. The large size and thornless harvest make them exceptional for fresh market and u-pick operations. [source]
Traditional herbal remedy
MedicinalBlackberry leaves contain tannins and have been traditionally used in herbal teas to support digestive health and soothe inflammation. The berries themselves are rich in anthocyanins, polyphenols, and vitamin C. [source]
Preserves and frozen storage
HouseholdExcellent for jam, jelly, and syrup production due to natural pectin content and flavor intensity. Freezes well for year-round use in baking and cooking. [source]
Wildlife habitat and food source
WildlifeFlowers attract pollinators including bees; berries feed birds and small mammals. Dense canes provide shelter and nesting sites for beneficial insects and small wildlife. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Berries ripen from red to glossy black over 2-3 weeks, beginning in early summer. Harvest every 2-3 days when fully black and soft to touch. Gently pull berries from the drupelets; they detach easily when ripe. Morning harvest after dew dries ensures better flavor and shelf life. Wear gloves despite thornlessness as canes still have small prickles. Ripe berries are fragile and best used within 1-2 days; refrigerate in a single layer. Can produce 15-25 pounds per established plant in optimal conditions.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Black Hawk is technically a blackberry-raspberry hybrid, combining characteristics of both parent species, including the thornless trait which is a significant breeding achievement for user safety.
- 🌱 Despite being thornless, Black Hawk canes retain microscopic prickles and should still be handled with care; the thornless trait refers to the absence of large, sharp thorns that make harvesting painful.
- 🌱 Black Hawk can produce fruit twice per year—a spring crop on floricanes and a summer-fall crop on primocanes—allowing extended harvest seasons in warmer zones where the plant has enough growing days.
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