blackberry Variety
Columbia Star
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Overview
Thornless blackberry for fresh and machine-harvest
Columbia Star is an early, thornless blackberry delivering standout dessert flavour, strong firmness, and excellent shine with high yields, ideal for premium fresh programmes and suitable for machine harvest and processing.
Columbia Star Key Features
Size
Large, long-shaped berries (7.6 g average in replicated trials)
Colour
Good, dark fruit colour with exceptional shine; colour maintained post-harvest
Flavour
Outstanding ‘dessert’ flavour from high sugars and low acids (12.7 Brix in comparative results)
“We’ve achieved faster returns and better performance thanks to GPG’s genetics and ongoing technical support.”
Grower Partner, Spain
Comparative results
Compare key commercial characteristics across our blackberry genetics, including chill type, yield performance, fruit firmness, flavour profile, and market suitability. Use the dropdown below to select a trait and compare performance across our blackberry varieties.
Chill Requirement
Columbia Star
600+ hours
Von
400-800 hours
Natchez
300 hours
Ouachita
400–500 hours
Growth Habit
Columbia Star
Vigorous, thornless plants with short, strong fruiting laterals
Von
Thornless, upright
Natchez
Thornless; erect to semi-erect (semi-erect growing habit)
Ouachita
Thornless; erect to semi-erect (semi-erect growing habit)
Seasonality
Columbia Star
Early season; harvest starts beginning of July; 50% ripe date ~12 July (Oregon, USA)
Von
Mid season
Natchez
Early season; first ripe ~3 June; peak ~8 June; last ~11 July (comparative results)
Ouachita
Mid season; first ripe ~12 June (comparative results)
Yield
Columbia Star
High yielding; reported yield 34 t/ha; 6.17–8.52 kg/plant average in replicated trials (over 8.5 kg/plant achieved in test plots)
Von
10–50 % higher than standard varieties
Natchez
Consistent high yields; yield potential 32 t/ha (comparative results)
Ouachita
Consistent high yields; yield potential 27 t/ha (comparative results)
Fruit Size
Columbia Star
Large, long-shaped berries (7.6 g average in replicated trials)
Von
9.1g average
Natchez
Large berries 8–9 g (berry weight 9.4 g in comparative results)
Ouachita
Conical fruit; good size (approx. 4.5–6.8 g; berry weight 6.0 g in comparative results)
Fruit Colour
Columbia Star
Good, dark fruit colour with exceptional shine; colour maintained post-harvest
Von
Deep black with shine
Natchez
Glossy, attractive black finish
Ouachita
Glossy black fruit
Firmness
Columbia Star
Strong firmness and texture (texture 8.3/9; firmness 7.6/9; berry firmness 8.6 in comparative results)
Von
Extremely Firm, Small Seeds
Natchez
Very firm fruit that stores well (berry firmness 8.1 in comparative results)
Ouachita
Firm berries with good travelling quality (berry firmness 8.3 in comparative results)
Flavour
Columbia Star
Outstanding ‘dessert’ flavour from high sugars and low acids (12.7 Brix in comparative results)
Von
Sweet (9.4% soluble solids), low acid (pH 3.57)
Natchez
Sweet flavour with distinctive blackberry aroma (9.5% soluble solids/Brix in comparative results)
Ouachita
Sweet flavour with distinctive blackberry aroma (9.5% soluble solids/Brix in comparative results)
Shelf Life
Columbia Star
Exceptional shelf life; fruit quality well maintained post-picking
Von
Excellent shelf life
Natchez
Exceptional shelf life; performs well for commercial shipping
Ouachita
Exceptional shelf life with good travelling quality
Use
Columbia Star
Premium fresh market; also adapted to processed fruit market
Von
Fresh and processed market
Natchez
Fresh market; also adapted to processed fruit market
Ouachita
Premium fresh market; also adapted to processed fruit market
Columbia Star Enquiry
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