Vaccinium corymbosum Sunshine Blue- American Blueberry

The Sunshine Blue Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a productive and late variety, offering delicious and juicy bluish-purple fruits. It is a decorative variety with a compact habit. The cultivated Blueberry is a bush that can reach a height of 1.50m (5ft), growing in acidic soils. Planting is ideally done in autumn or anytime during the year, excluding frost, for a harvest in late July.

The Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, like heathers and rhododendrons. There are two main types:

- the wild blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), a small bush of about 30 cm (12in), naturally growing in the undergrowth

- the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America and cultivated in gardens. It produces larger and more numerous fruits and can reach a height of 1.50m (5ft).

The cultivated Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), such as the Sunshine Blue variety, is a very hardy bush that forms a dense upright shrub, reaching a height of 1.50m (5ft), with a spread of 80 cm (32in). The deciduous leaves are 2 to 3 cm (1in) long, lanceolate, elliptical, entire and dentate, medium green in color, turning bright orange in autumn. Flowering occurs in early May, with small white bell-shaped flowers with reddish edges, measuring 0.5 to 1 cm (0in) in length, gathered in pendulous clusters measuring 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) in length at the end of the stems. This is followed by the formation of bluish-purple berries, covered in bloom, slightly flattened, measuring 1 cm (0in) in diameter. They ripen in summer, with the first harvest appearing from the 2nd year of cultivation. On the same plant, the harvest will be staggered depending on the ripeness of the fruits. Blueberries are firm and sweet, with a pleasantly tart flavor. Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutritional value: they are very rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They can be eaten freshly picked, enjoyed as juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or used in pastries (pies, muffins...). Blueberries can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation.

To ensure proper pollination and fruiting, it is recommended to plant at least 2 to 3 Blueberry plants of the same variety or different varieties (including self-fertile ones). In the garden, Blueberries will blend perfectly in acidic soil beds, alongside rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, and heathers...