Ponca Sweet Ark™ Blackberry Plants

Ponca Blackberry is a standout thornless blackberry variety bred for exceptional sweetness, firm texture, and easy garden management. This compact, upright grower produces glossy black berries with outstanding flavor—making Ponca ideal for fresh eating, desserts, baking, freezing, and preserving. Loved on the farm for its tidy, upright habit, Ponca is especially well suited for home gardeners who want high-quality fruit without sprawling canes. With early ripening and reliable yields, Ponca delivers a delicious start to blackberry season.

SHIPPING INFO: This product begins shipping in March. We will try to ship within the ideal planting window for your growing zone.

Why Grow Ponca Blackberry?

• Produces exceptionally sweet, firm blackberries
• Thornless canes for easy, comfortable harvesting
• Compact, upright growth habit—great for smaller spaces
• Early-season variety that starts your blackberry harvest
• Highly productive and well suited for home gardens

Growing Information

🌱 Plant Type: Blackberry (thornless, floricane / summer-bearing) – rooted plug
🌱 Hardiness Zones: 5–9
🌱 When to Plant: Early spring, as soon as soil can be worked
🌱 When to Harvest: Early summer (typically June, depending on location)

Cultivation Tips

• Soil requirements: Plant in well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Avoid areas where water tends to pool.
• Sunlight: Full sun for best growth and fruit production.
• Watering: Water consistently, especially during establishment and dry periods. Soil should remain moist but not soggy. Mulching helps conserve moisture and keep roots cool.
• Harvesting: Berries are ready when fully black, glossy, and release easily from the plant. Harvest every few days during peak season.
• Pruning: Fruit is produced on second-year canes. After harvest, remove spent floricanes at ground level. In late winter, thin first-year canes to improve airflow and encourage healthy growth.
• Spacing: Space plants approximately 3–5 feet apart for proper airflow and cane development.
• Pollination: Self-fertile—no additional plants required.

Click here for our Blackberry Growing Guide

Click here for a video on How to Care for Brambles: Plants and Plugs

History

Ponca Blackberry was developed by Dr. John Clark at the University of Arkansas and released in 2020 as part of their ongoing thornless blackberry breeding program. Bred for higher sugar content, balanced acidity, and excellent fruit quality, Ponca quickly gained recognition for its superior flavor and manageable growth habit—setting a new standard for early-season blackberries.

Non-GMO Commitment: At The Farm on Central, all our plants are guaranteed non-GMO and not genetically modified in any way, upholding natural breeding methods and promoting sustainable gardening and farming practices.

Growing method: Conventionally grown, due to tissue culture propagation which ensures disease-free planting stock.