Blackberry in Zone 7a & 7b
Rubus fruticosus
Yes, blackberry grows in zones 7a and 7b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Mar 13–Mar 20.
When to plant blackberry in zone 7b
Zones 7a and 7b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Mar 13–Mar 20 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest the season after planting |
Spacing: about 7 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 5-8 ft.
Before you plant: Blackberry has a winter-hardiness note for zone 7b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 7b
These go outside within two weeks of blackberry in zone 7b, so one planting day can cover them.
- BlueberryMar 13–Mar 20
- CurrantMar 13–Mar 20
- GooseberryMar 13–Mar 20
- Nanking CherryMar 13–Mar 20
- RaspberryMar 13–Mar 20
- GrapeMar 20–Mar 27
Blackberries have a reputation as something that grows in a hedge and tears your arms, and for wild ones that's fair. Thornless upright varieties changed the calculation: a plant you can pick with bare hands, that stands up without a trellis, and produces more fruit than most households can eat.
How blackberry fits zone 7's season
Zone 7b's frost-free window runs about 198 days, from April 10 to October 25. Blackberry takes about 1 growing season to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Blackberry is hardy in zones 5-9, so in zone 7b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 3 ft of spread at maturity.
Blackberry planting windows in every zone
Zone 7b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5a & 5b | Buy as a start | Apr 12–Apr 19 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Mar 28–Apr 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Mar 13–Mar 20 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b | Buy as a start | Feb 25–Mar 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 9a & 9b | Buy as a start | Jan 18–Jan 25 | First real harvest the season after planting |
Good companions
No well-established companions for blackberry.
Where to buy blackberry starts
Blackberry is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing blackberry" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Blackberry in USDA zone 7b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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