Vaccinium angustifolium Brazelberry Berrybux

The Blueberry Bush, or Vaccinium angustifolium Berrybux, belongs to a series of fruit bushes called Brazelberry selected for their very compact habit, decorative foliage, and abundant and delicious fruit production. These qualities will be appreciated by gardeners who are fond of gardens but have limited space. The Berrybux blueberry bush resembles a globe-shaped boxwood. Its delicate foliage turns red in autumn, but most importantly, it produces a large number of white flowers in spring that give delicious small black-blue berries, which are tasty, sweet, and extremely nutritious. Very hardy, this small bush can be grown in the sun in acidic and moist soil, both in the ground and in pots.

The Narrow-leaved Blueberry Berrybux, scientifically known as Vaccinium angustifolium, commonly called the Narrow-leaved Bilberry, belongs to the Ericaceae family, just like heathers and rhododendrons. Its wild ancestor is a deciduous bush, extremely hardy, native to the Eastern part of North America, particularly Quebec. It is a plant that thrives in cold, very acidic, peaty, sandy, and moist soils, and it loves the sun.

The Berrybux cultivar forms a very dense bush with a globular habit, reaching a height and width of 60 cm (24in) at maturity. The small leaves, which are deciduous in winter, are 2 to 3 cm (1in) long, lanceolate, elliptical, entire and dentate, dark green in color, turning red in autumn. Flowering occurs in early May, with small white bell-shaped flowers with pink edges, measuring 0.5 to 1 cm (0in) in length, often clustered in pendulous clusters 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long at the ends of the stems. This is followed by the formation of bluish-black berries, covered in bloom, slightly flattened, measuring 1 to 1.5 cm (0 to 1in) in diameter. They ripen in summer, with the first harvest appearing from the second year of cultivation. On the same plant, the harvest will be staggered depending on the ripeness of the fruits. The blueberries are firm and sweet, with a pleasantly acidic 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 in juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins, etc.). 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 bushes of the same variety or different varieties (including self-fertile varieties). In the garden, Blueberry bushes will integrate perfectly into acid soil beds, alongside rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, heathers, etc.