In 1927, a cooperative project between the USDA and the Oregon Experimental Station began a Rubus breeding program designed to cross the domestic varieties with ten native blackberry selections. The domestic varieties used were mainly Boysenberry, Loganberry and Youngberry.

The search for superior native parents revealed that natural hybrids were occurring. Native blackberries are dioecious (characterized by having male flower and on one plant and female flowers on another) whereas the fertile natural hybrids had perfect monecious flowers. At first, these were thought to be new wild crosses with perfect flowered plants. Later, however, they were discovered to be like the cross between the native and domestic blackberries. Santiam, Johnson, Starr and Lincoln are selections from the wild that presumably arose as natural hybrids between naturalized or native species and Logan. Other perfect flowered selections used in breeding, such as Black Logan, Kayberry , Kosmos and Ware, do not closely resemble Santiam and other selections from the wild and therefore may have some other domestic parent than Logan, such as Himalaya or Evergreen.

In looking at selections of berries that have been outstanding in tests for canning and freezing, we find that all of them have Pacific Coast native blackberry entering into their origin to some extent. The varieties Logan, Young and Boysen are also in the parentage of all but Chehalem.

A wild variety found near Salem, Oregon by B. Zielinski and named Zielinski was successfully crossed with Logan and found to have characteristic similar to the wild blackberry. Two of these were named Pacific and Cascade, and are grown in home gardens for their native blackberry flavor and often used for home canning, jams, jellies and pies. Both are vigorous, ripe early and produce up to four tons per acre. Both are considered too soft for processing.

The Santiam, a natural hybrid between R. ursinus and a Logan, has a rich native blackberry flavor. The berries are small and black with very small seeds. Santiam ripens early and has medium vigor, but produces an average of only two tons per acre. The Santiam is grown commercially in Oregon to some extent. In 1936 a cross was made between the Santiam and Himalaya by George Waldo, USDA, Corvallis Oregon. The Chehalem was selected out of seedlings from this cross. The fruit of the Chehalem is smaller than a Logan with bright skin, shiny black color and small seeds. The flavor is excellent and especially good for frozen products. The seeds are small. It is well adapted to the Pacific Coast, and is vigorous and productive in moist, rich soil. The Chehalem has been grown to some extent commercially in Oregon.

The Black Logan, whose origin in not clear, was crossed with the Youngberry by George Waldo, and introduced as Olallie in 1950. The fruit is large, and slightly longer and more slender than the Boysenberry. Olallie is excellent for processing. Plants are very productive, with vigorous, thorny canes. Ollallie is better adapted to the climatic conditions in California as it often winter kills in Oregon.