blackberry seedlings, open pollinated

[jocelyn]

These are seedlings from open pollinated thornless blackberries.  Any idea what they will grow to be, thorns, rasps, thornless?  They are last spring's seedlings, wintering in the porch.
screen shot

[raymondo]

No idea what you'll get but I'll follow progress with interest. Growing a few brambles from seed is something I'm keen to try.

[andyb]

My guess is thorny. I've read that at least some thornless blackberries are chimeras, with a thornless variety on the outside of the stems and a tasty but thorny variety in the tissue that makes the berries.

[reed]

A large wild patch grows not far from my thornless patch. I don't know if the thornless self seeded or if it is a cross but a few years ago some odd ones showed up, canes and berries are larger than the wild or tame either one. Unfortunately they have the most awful thorns you ever what to see and growth is super aggressive. Shoots come up feet away from the main patch. I have kept them out of the regular thornless patch but they are overwhelming the old wild ones. The fruit is excellent but you can't get to it except on the edges cause the vines are so mean.

[andyb]

A little searching turned up this paper about a non-chimeric variety developed from a chimeric one, so both apparently exist. 

‘Everthornless’ Blackberry (http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/)

[jocelyn]

Well, I'll have to wait and see what I get, I guess

I can always plant the thorny ones next to the thornless parent and save berries from open pollination, if they turn out to be thorny. Some of the seedlings bred back should get thornless.