Гео Уолдо: отец маринберри и клубники Худ, чьи сорта остаются популярными спустя десятилетия

George Waldo: The father of Oregon’s Marionberry and Hood strawberry Published 1:00 pm Monday, August 24, 2026 The Marionberry, released 70 years ago, and Hood, from 1965, still popular Berry breeder George Waldo set the standard for juicy fruit and sweet flavor by developing the Marionberry and Hood strawberry, which continue to maintain popularity several decades after being released. “They just need to be eaten or processed almost immediately,” said Amanda Davis, a berry researcher at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, Ore. Waldo, a quiet and devoutly religious man, worked for the USDA Agricultural Research Service at OSU. During his 33-year career, he developed several berry varieties for the Pacific Northwest, including the Willamette raspberry, widely planted for 50 years. Berries from new generations of breeders possess advantages such as firmness, durability and shelf life, leading to acreage declines for Waldo’s cultivars. But many growers, processors and consumers still prefer Marionberries and Hood strawberries, which function like trusted brand names for farm stands and premium products. The Marionberry remains a key reason why Oregon leads the nation in processed blackberry production, according to the Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission. Marionberry developed 70 years ago The Marionberry is considered Waldo’s masterpiece. He created the cultivar in 1948 by crossing Chehalem and Olallie blackberries — both of which stem partly from the invasive but delicious Himalayan blackberry — and threw a smidge of raspberry. Raspberry gives the Marionberry its purplish hue, as well as a tart note, acidity and aromatics, leading to a sweet but complex flavor profile, Davis said. The cultivar, released in 1956, was named after Marion County, Ore., where the fruit was extensively tested. Marionberries aren’t widely grown outside Oregon, so the fruit is automatically associated with the state and its reputation for quality food. Marionberry pie is the official state pie, as well. Newer blackberry varieties are more cold-hardy, and Marionberry canes have thorns that cause challenges during harvest and potential liability if they’re missed during processing, Davis said. Darcy Kochis, ORBC administrator, said Marionberries accounted for 50% of the state’s caneberry production, or 32 million pounds, in 2000. A quarter century later, that was down to 21%, though the harvest — including thornless Marionberries — was still 8.2 million pounds. Columbia Star, designed as a Marionberry replacement and released by OSU in 2014, now accounts for a third of Oregon’s caneberries. Its taste, while similar, lacks the Marionberry’s flavorful punch, Davis said. Hood strawberry still holds up The deep red and sugar-loaded Hood strawberry, named after Mt. Hood, was selected by Waldo in 1957 and released in 1965, targeted for use in jams and preserves. Matt Unger, a mostly retired berry grower and private berry breeder, said Hood was the Northwest’s dominant strawberry for processing after its introduction. It is now primarily grown by small and medium sized farms focusing on fresh berries for direct-to-consumer sales. Unger has made crosses with Hood, essentially trying to get a bigger, firmer version of that strawberry. “Part of the reason for its success is that it has the acid to go with the sweet, which really gives it that intense flavor. It still holds up,” Unger said.