Powderblue Rabbiteye Blueberry - Vaccinium ashei 'Powderblue'

Vaccinium Powderblue Blueberry is a tall vigorous upright deciduous shrub with a high chill requirement but very high production of firm sweet powdery light blue blueberries that ripen late.  The large elliptical blue-green foliage turns shades of yellow-orange in fall. The white flower clusters bloom in spring. Grows best with full sun and rich, moist acidic well-drained soils.  Powderblue resists cracking after rain.  Should be planted with others to cross-pollinate to increase yield. 

Type: 

Shrub

Origins:

Southeast N. America; GA Native

Height: 

8' - 12'

Spread: 

6’ - 10'

Spacing: 

8'

USDA Hardiness Zone: 

7 - 9

Culture: 

Full Sun, Part Sun

Bloom Color: 

White

Season of Interest: 

Spring, Summer, Fall

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Medium Maintenance. Water regularly and mulch.  Prune as needed in late winter. Chlorosis may occur in high PH soils.  Blight, rot, anthracnose, canker, and mildew are occasional problems. Blueberry maggot, fruit worms, and spotted wing drosophila can damage the fruit.  Mummy berry is a fungal disease that shrivels and dries the fruit- remove effected fruit immediately if spotted.
LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Gardens, Rock Gardens, Hedges, Foundation Plantings, Edible Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Strawberry, Camellia, Bayberry

IMAGES: Photo by Bottoms Nursery, POWDERBLUE (Bare root), (2) Photo by Michael Hiemstra, Blueberries on the bush

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.