The Triple Crown blackberry is a powerhouse variety developed through a joint breeding program between the USDA-ARS and the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, specifically credited to breeder Dr. Gene Galletta and released in 1996. It is a thornless, semi-erect variety named for its three crowning attributes: flavor, productivity, and vigor. According to Oregon State University (OSU) Extension publications, Triple Crown is noted for having "excellent flavor, large fruit size, and high yields," often producing fruit for about five weeks.
 
Unlike the famous Marionberry, which, in my experience, is very finicky about the cold winter weather in Philadelphia, the Triple Crown offers a higher degree of hardiness, making it a much safer bet for a wider range of growers. It fruits on floricanes (second-year wood), meaning pruning is straightforward: you remove the canes that have finished fruiting at the end of the season and "tip" the new green primocanes to encourage the lateral branching that will hold next year's crop.
 
Because these plants prefer warm soil, growers in northern climates can see a massive improvement in production and earliness by planting them in raised beds, which heat up faster in the spring than the surrounding ground. Consistent soil moisture can also aid in improving production. While Triple Crown is shade-tolerant enough to fruit in less-than-ideal light, it really needs a spot with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for better productivity.