Southern gardeners, rejoice! ‘Sweetie Pie’ was bred in Mississippi and trialed in Louisiana and Arkansas, so you know this thornless, super-sweet blackberry can really take heat and humidity! Sporting soft, absolutely delicious berries, it belongs front and center in your berry patch!

Developed by the USDA for improved resistance to Rosette disease (a fungal infection that can wreak havoc on blackberries in hot, humid climates), ‘Sweetie Pie’ has also turned out to be the highest in sugars, averaging 10 to 12%! These berries are mid-sized, with a glossy skin and very tender, succulent texture. They are soft to be marketed commercially . . . which makes them just perfect for hand-picking and eating fresh from the home garden!

This trailing shrub is also very productive, thriving in full sun but unafraid of a bit of shade now and again. It begins bearing in mid to late season — in the deep south, this is often early summer, but i