The boysenberry was created by Rudolph
Boysen during the 1920s. It is considered to be a variant of the
blackberry, although it is actually a hybrid of a blackberry and
either the loganberry or the red raspberry. It could even be a
hybrid of all three. However, it looks more like a blackberry
than the other two. There are claims that the boysenberry is
actually a cross between the Eastern dewberry and the man-made
loganberry. The loganberry was created in 1881 when James Logan
crossed a raspberry with a wild blackberry.
The boysenberry was not
a commercial success due to its short shelf life. It decays just
two days after harvest. Stores tried prolonging the shelf life
of the boysenberry by harvesting and shipping them before they
ripened. The plan ultimately failed because unripe boysenberries
taste acidic. These days, the boysenberry is only sold at
farmers markets.