Vaccinium corymbosum Blue Dessert

The 'Blue Dessert' Blueberry is a late-flowering and fruiting variety of American blueberry. It blooms in June and the fruit harvest begins in late August to early September and can sometimes last until October depending on the climatic conditions. The late ripening has the advantage of allowing for a long harvesting period. Its fruits are medium to large-sized, sweet and juicy, slightly aromatic. Its late flowering allows it to avoid exposure to spring frosts. It has an upright habit, robust growth, and forms a well-branched bush. The cultivated blueberry is a bush that requires acidic and moist soil, free of limestone. This variety tolerates non-burning sunlight exposure for better fruit production. It is also appreciated for its beautiful red autumn colouration before the deciduous foliage falls.

The Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, mainly known in gardens for its many ornamental genera. In addition to the well-known Rhododendrons and Heather, there are also Ericaceae with edible fruits: mainly the Strawberry Trees and the genus Vaccinium, which includes blueberries, cranberries, and lingonberries. The cultivated blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America, is the one that is grown in gardens for its abundant and high-quality fruit production. It is a very cold-resistant bush with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It is cultivated in very acidic soil (free of limestone), with a tendency towards peat and humus, with a semi-shaded exposure, for example, in morning sunlight.

'Blue Dessert' is an upright variety that reaches a height of 1.50 m (5ft), and a width of 80 cm (32in) to 1 m (3ft). It is adorned with numerous small white flowers in June, with the characteristic bell-like appearance of the Ericaceae due to their fused petals. They then develop into blue berries, ready to be harvested from late August, and are excellent for their slightly acidic sweet taste and juicy flesh. Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutritional value: they are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They can be eaten freshly picked, enjoyed in juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in baking (pies, muffins). Blueberries can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation. Since 'Blue Dessert' is self-fertile, you will not need to plant another variety to obtain a tasty harvest. However, in blueberries, cross-pollination has a significant impact on yield and fruit quality, so planting a second plant is beneficial. The medium to dark green foliage consists of small elliptical leaves with pointed tips, which turn red in autumn, adding considerable ornamental appeal.

The 'Blue Dessert' blueberry will delight fans of small fruits. Both a fruit-bearing and ornamental plant due to its flowering and beautiful autumn colours, this shrub can be grown on a balcony or terrace to enjoy its fruits within easy reach, or be combined with other acid-loving plants in a heather bed in the garden. The border can then be made up of creepers, such as Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice', a dwarf shrub with fine bluish foliage and bell-shaped pink flowers in spring. The Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' will also be a good companion, with its fragrant pink late-summer flowering and the yellow autumn colours of its foliage, creating a beautiful scene alongside the red of your blueberry.