boysenberry, a very large bramble fruit, considered to be a variety of blackberry (Rubus ursinus). Possibly a cross between a blackberry and a loganberry or red raspberry or both, the dark reddish black fruit has a sweet and tangy flavor and is especially valued for canning and preserving and for use in pies and cobblers. It is grown chiefly in New Zealand and the United States, particularly on the Pacific coast from southern California to Oregon.
The boysenberry was developed in the early 1920s by horticulturist Rudolph Boysen of Anaheim, California, who later turned it over to farmer Walter Knott for commercial development (see Knott’s Berry Farm). Although the short shelf life of the boysenberry led to its decline in commercial popularity, it is still frequently grown in home gardens and is available at farmers’ markets when in season.