Loganberry
Rubus × loganobaccus · Rosaceae · also known as Logan blackberry
The accidental 1881 cross of blackberry and raspberry from a California garden — long, dark-red, wine-tart berries too sharp for most fresh eating but magnificent in pies, cordials, and the famous loganberry drink of Western New York.
At a glance
- Taste
- Boldly tart and aromatic — blackberry depth with raspberry perfume and a deep-red, winey acidity; softens toward sweet only when very ripe, and shines with sugar and heat.
- Origin
- Santa Cruz, California (an accidental garden hybrid, 1881)
- Grown in
- United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Chile
- Peak season
- Summer
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Deep dull purple-red and soft, releasing easily from the cane — bright, firm red berries are still sharply underripe.
- How to eat
- Eat dead-ripe with sugar and cream, or (better) cook them into pies, jam, and cordial where their winey tartness turns to depth; freeze any surplus.
- Typical price
- Everyday
The loganberry was a happy accident: in 1881 a blackberry and a raspberry cross-pollinated by chance in Judge J.H. Logan's Santa Cruz garden, and the vigorous seedling that resulted carried his name into fruit history.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| North America | Jun–Aug (Pacific coast and beyond) |
| Oceania | Dec–Feb (New Zealand, Australia) |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose deep purple-red, plump berries that come away from the plant easily — like blackberries, they only sweeten on the cane, never after. Bright-red fruit is underripe and mouth-puckering.
Storing it
A day or two refrigerated — soft and fragile like all brambles. They freeze very well, and the harvest is classically preserved as jam, cordial, and wine within a day of picking.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Pies, crumbles, and summer puddings where their tartness is an asset
- Loganberry jam, syrup, and the iconic loganberry soft drink of Buffalo and Western New York
- Fruit wines and country liqueurs
- Fresh with sugar and cream, when fully ripe
🌿 Health & traditional
- Shares the bramble family's antioxidant reputation; valued as a nutritious berry
🎎 Cultural
- Named for James Harvey Logan, the Californian judge in whose garden the cross appeared by chance
- A parent of later hybrid brambles like the boysenberry and tayberry
Eating loganberry: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Loganberry is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 5.3 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety. Its pigments and polyphenols are antioxidants that population studies associate with heart health, though that reflects overall diet rather than any single fruit.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Loganberry contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Loganberry: frequently asked questions
What does loganberry taste like?
Boldly tart and aromatic — blackberry depth with raspberry perfume and a deep-red, winey acidity; softens toward sweet only when very ripe, and shines with sugar and heat.
When is loganberry in season?
Loganberry is typically in season North America (Jun–Aug (Pacific coast and beyond)); Oceania (Dec–Feb (New Zealand, Australia)). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat loganberry?
Eat dead-ripe with sugar and cream, or (better) cook them into pies, jam, and cordial where their winey tartness turns to depth; freeze any surplus.
How do you know when loganberry is ripe?
Deep dull purple-red and soft, releasing easily from the cane — bright, firm red berries are still sharply underripe.
Is loganberry good for you?
Loganberry is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 5.3 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety. Its pigments and polyphenols are antioxidants that population studies associate with heart health, though that reflects overall diet rather than any single fruit.
How much loganberry should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The loganberry owes its existence to a lucky mistake. In 1881, in the Santa Cruz garden of a California judge named James Harvey Logan, a blackberry and a raspberry crossed by chance — and the vigorous, dark-red seedling that grew from the resulting seeds became one of the first named hybrid brambles, carrying its accidental breeder’s name ever since.
Too tart to snack, born to be cooked
A ripe loganberry is long, deep purple-red, and unmistakably sharp — blackberry structure and raspberry perfume wrapped around a winey acidity that most people find too tart to eat by the handful. That’s not a flaw; it’s a specialty. Sugar and heat transform loganberries into some of the best pie, jam, and cordial in the bramble world, their tartness giving depth where a sweeter berry would fall flat.
The Buffalo connection
Loganberries found an unlikely cultural home in Western New York, where loganberry — a sweet, ruby soft drink — is a Buffalo-area institution, poured at the city’s landmark restaurants and summer fairs the way root beer is elsewhere. Elsewhere the fruit turns up as syrup, wine, and country liqueur, its concentrated flavor surviving processing far better than its fragile fresh form.
A founder of the bramble family tree
The loganberry’s genes went on to matter. It’s a parent (or grandparent) of later hybrid brambles including the boysenberry and the tayberry, making the judge’s garden accident a cornerstone of modern cane-fruit breeding. For a fresh-eating bramble day, set loganberry beside its parents blackberry and raspberry — but keep the sugar bowl close.
