These big, sweet berries are ideal for eating straight from the plants and make fantastic jam, pies, and cobblers. Boysenberry is a fabulous potpourri of America’s favorite berries, created from a cross of the European raspberry (Rubus idaeus) the European blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), American dewberry (Rubus aboriginum), and loganberry (Rubus × loganobaccus). As the story goes, in the 1930s the Knott family (of Knott’s Berry Farm fame) rescued this unique berry from near extinction on a farm owned by Rudolph Boysen. Boysenberry was immensely popular until the 1960s, when it fell out of favor because of its fragile fruit, ill-suited for shipping, and its finicky growing habit.Fortunately for us, continuous improvements have resulted in much hardier and disease-resistant plants, as well as this thornless type! Breeding hasn’tsacrificed flavor, though; the fruit is still asdelicious and delicate as the original.