Vaccinium corymbosum Blue pearl- American Blueberry

The Vaccinium corymbosum 'Blue Pearl' is a variety of American blueberry that produces beautiful, large, aromatic, sweet, and slightly acidic blueberries. Delicious when eaten fresh, they can also be used in desserts and are suitable for making jam. Relatively compact, this fruit bush can be grown in a pot. The blueberries are ready to be harvested in July-August. Like most American blueberries, the foliage turns beautiful red colors in autumn. Although self-fertile, the fruiting of this variety is even more abundant if a few plants of other varieties are planted nearby.

The Blueberry bush belongs to the Ericaceae family, which is mainly known in gardens for its numerous ornamental genera. The shrubby blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America, is the one cultivated in gardens for its abundant and high-quality fruiting. It is an extremely hardy bush with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It grows in highly acidic soil (not tolerant of limestone), in a partially shaded location, for example in the morning sun.

The 'Blue Pearl' variety is a compact plant, usually measuring between 1m (3ft) and 1.50m (5ft) in height. Slow-growing, a plant over 10 years old can reach a width of 80cm (32in) to 1m (3ft). This relative compactness allows it to be easily grown in a container if the soil is not suitable for its needs. The foliage consists of small, medium to dark green elliptical leaves with pointed tips. They turn beautiful autumnal red colours, adding to the plant's appeal, in addition to its fruits.

Flowering occurs in May, in the form of small white-pinkish bell-shaped flowers, 0.5 to 1cm (0in) long, clustered in pendulous clusters 2 to 5cm (1 to 2in) long, at the ends of the stems. They develop into blueberries, lightly covered with a whitish bloom, which give it its evocative name of "Blue Pearl". These berries are quite large, spherical in shape with a slightly flattened centre, and ripen between mid and late July. Harvesting takes place until the end of August, starting from the 2nd or 3rd year after planting. The fruits have white flesh, unlike our native blueberries, and are sweet with low acidity.

Blueberries are low in calories but highly nutritious: they are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that improve night vision. Their numerous qualities make them a superfood, in addition to being a delicious fruit! Blueberries can be consumed fresh, in juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins, etc.). The fruit can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation.

Plant 'Blue Pearl' alongside other varieties of Vaccinium corymbosum to promote pollination and achieve better harvests. To diversify your harvests, you can also plant raspberries nearby, which grow well in acidic soils and provide fruits with a different taste from blueberries. However, keep in mind that raspberries easily sucker, so it would be wise to surround them with a root barrier to prevent them from invading your blueberries. Since Blue Pearl has beautiful autumn colours, you can also incorporate it into an ornamental bed of acid-loving plants, such as stunning Kalmias or Mountain Laurels, with their abundant and often colourful flowers. Preferably choose taller varieties to plant them in the background of your blueberries, thus allowing easy harvesting.