Blueberry Blue Suede - Vaccinium corymbosum

The Blue Suede Blueberry is an early and self-fertile American variety that offers good productivity. From June, it produces large, juicy, and sweet blueberries. The cultivated Blueberry is a bush that thrives in partial shade or non-scorching sun and requires an acidic and moist soil, devoid of limestone. This compact variety can easily be grown in a container and is also appreciated for its beautiful red autumn colours before the deciduous foliage falls.

The Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, mainly known in the garden for its numerous ornamental genera. In addition to the well-known Rhododendrons and Heather, there are also edible fruit Ericaceae: mainly the Strawberry Trees and the genus Vaccinium, which includes blueberries, cranberries, and lingonberries. The shrubby Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America, is the one cultivated in gardens for its abundance and quality of fruiting. It is a very cold-resistant bush with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It should be grown in very acidic soil (devoid of limestone), with a tendency for peat and humus, in a semi-shaded exposure, for example, in the morning sun.
Blue Suede is a moderately growing variety, reaching a height of 1m to 1.20m, with a width of 0.80m to 1m. These compact dimensions make it easy to grow in a container on a terrace or to avoid limestone soil in which it could not develop. This compact bush is adorned with numerous small white flowers in May-June, with the characteristic bell-like appearance of the Ericaceae due to their fused petals. They then develop into blueberries, ready to be harvested in June-July, which are excellent for their slightly acidic sweet taste and juicy flesh. 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 consumed freshly picked, enjoyed as juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins). Blueberries can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation. Being self-fertile, Blue Suede does not require planting another variety to obtain a tasty harvest (although cross-pollination is often advantageous...). The medium to dark green foliage consists of small elliptical leaves with pointed tips, which turn red in autumn, adding ornamental appeal.

Blue Suede Blueberry will delight small fruit enthusiasts. Both fruit-bearing and ornamental with its flowering and beautiful autumn colours, this shrub can be grown on a balcony or terrace to enjoy its fruits within reach, or be associated with other acid-loving plants in a garden bed. The border can then be composed of creeping plants, such as Blue Ice Andromeda polifolia, a dwarf shrub with fine bluish foliage and bell-shaped pink flowers in spring. The Ruby Spice Clethra alnifolia will also be a good companion, with its fragrant pink late summer flowering and the yellow autumn colours of its foliage, which will create a beautiful composition alongside the red of your Blueberry.