PLEASE NOTE: All plant products are shipped by Silver Creek Nursery in Spring 2026 while they are still dormant. They will ship separately from any candles, honey or other products ordered. Your postal code will be used to determine if the ground is thawed enough to plant before your order is shipped. Snow on the ground does not mean you cannot plant - in fact, it's often great for the plants if you get them into the ground while there is still snow - it provides extra water when it melts, and the plant gets to acclimatize and wake up at the same pace as mother nature.
All of Silver Creek Nursery's policies apply to plants purchased through Huckleberry Hives. You can view Silver Creek Nursery's policies here.
Silver Creek Nursery Ltd.
Illini Hardy Blackberry Bareroot
Illini Hardy Blackberry Bareroot
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Why I chose it for Huckleberry Hives' 2026 Plants Collective: Blackberries are easy to grow, provide blooms full of both nectar and pollen, and their fruit is delicious! If you have some sunny space for a small patch of blackberries you can't go wrong with them.
Species: Rubus sp.
History: Illini Hardy was developed as a cold hardy variety by the University of Illinois and released in 1988. It is a cross between Chester Thornless and NY 95.
Why Silver Creek Nursery Grows It: This variety produces very large and abundant berries late in the summer. The dark berries are sweet with some tartness, resembling the flavour of wild blackberries. Its cold hardy nature makes it hard to turn down for Canadian growers.
Pictured on the left: top: Chester, bottom: Illini Hardy
How big is the plant I'm buying? These plants are 1 year plants; pruned to ~30cm; well rooted
How it Arrives to You: Silver Creek Nursery will ship these plants in spring 2026, sometime between later March and early May depending on your postal code. The plants roots will be packaged safely in damp sawdust and planting instructions will be enclosed in the box. It is recommended to plant ASAP after receiving the plants. If the soil is soft enough to dig, you should plant! If you have any questions about these plants before buying, send over an email! I work part-time at Silver Creek Nursery and I can help you out.
Questions? Below are some quick links to help you out. If you have further questions before purchasing plants, you can connect with Silver Creek Nursery and order directly through them! They also have a huge selection way above and beyond those I've chosen to feature on my website, so don't hesitate to investigate all they have to offer.
What is a bareroot tree/plant?
What is a bareroot tree/plant?
Silver Creek Nursery specializes in & ships only bareroot trees - what are they?
Bareroot is exactly that - a tree or plant with it's roots bare. No soil or pot around it, it's the bare bones (roots) of the tree. That's how they sell it, store it, ship it - to you - so you can easily unbox it, then plant it.
What is a rootstock?
What is a rootstock?
As the name indicates, rootstocks are the root portion of a grafted tree, and they control the mature size of a tree, certain disease qualities, adaptability to soils, and years to bearing, all relative to the cultivar grafted on top.
The primary difference between the different rootstocks is size. Generally, dwarf trees will reach up to 50% of the height of a full-size tree and semi-dwarf trees will reach up to 75% of that height. In regards to apples, for example, dwarf trees generally reach 8-10ft, semi-dwarf trees 12-15ft, and full-size trees 15-20ft.
Learn more here.
Where can I learn more?
Where can I learn more?
Silver Creek Nursery has lots of resources to help you plan and know what you want before you buy. They even have a Beginner's Guide.
