Blackberry, Ponca

‘Ponca’, a floricane‐fruiting, thornless cultivar, is the 20th blackberry released from the Division of Agriculture’s fruit breeding program and is the most outstanding release from the effort in terms of flavor and berry-to-berry consistency. Its dependably sweet, low‐acid berries grab the attention of all that get to taste the fruit of this new cultivar. Sweetness or tartness is the first thing consumers notice when they bite into a blackberry. But, as one chews, other fruity flavors begin to emerge. Those are the aromatic qualities that Clark has been working to develop, and that work led to the development of such excellent flavor in Ponca. This variety also ranked highest by a significant margin in taste tests conducted by the Division of Agriculture’s Department of Food Science.