In 1954 the Black Hawk raspberry plants were released to growers, first from the state of Iowa. This raspberry plant has been widely distributed and accepted as a commercial cultivar by growers and nurseries. The berries are large on the Black Hawk raspberry, and the black color appears when ripe after passing through a red color stage. The berries of the Black Hawk raspberry are shiny black when fully ready to harvest, and the distinct firmness of the berries makes it a good choice for freezing and for eating black raspberry ice cream. The extremely high yields of the Black Hawk raspberry bushes satisfies the home gardeners family supply needs, and the plants are very cold hardy. The growth of the Black Hawk raspberry plants is very vigorous, and the canes rapidly divide to form large clumps with a heavy yield potential.