Vaccinium corymbosum Cabernet Splash- American Blueberry

The Cabernet Splash Blueberry is a semi-dwarf and partially self-fertile American variety that offers good productivity. It is also a highly decorative plant that can compete with ornamental species. Its juicy and sweet small blue fruits are harvested in summer, starting in July. Its foliage is surprising with its successive colour changes during the season, going from purple in spring to green in summer, and displaying autumnal red hues. The cultivated Blueberry is a hardy bush that thrives in partial shade or non-scorching sun, and requires an acidic and moist soil, free of limestone. This compact variety can also be easily grown in containers.

The Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, mainly known in gardens for its numerous ornamental genera. In addition to the well-known Rhododendrons and Heathers, there are also edible fruit-bearing Ericaceae, primarily the Strawberry Trees and the genus Vaccinium, which includes blueberries, cranberries, and lingonberries. Vaccinium corymbosum, native to North America, is the Blueberry that is cultivated in gardens for its abundant and high-quality fruit production. It is a very hardy bush with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It grows in highly acidic (limestone-free), peaty and humiferous soil, in a partially shaded exposure, such as morning sun.

Cabernet Splash is an American horticultural variety developed by Lynne Caton, a variety selection specialist at Briggs Nursery in Washington State (northwestern United States, near the Canadian border). It is a mutation of the 'Toro' variety that was used to obtain a new variety. This unique Blueberry is both an ornamental plant and a small fruit tree. It produces small blueberries that are ready to harvest in July-August, with soft flesh that is juicy and sweet. Blueberries are low in calories but highly nutritious, containing high levels of vitamins A, B, and C, as well as calcium and iron. They can be consumed fresh, as juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins, etc.). Blueberries can be stored for about ten days after harvesting and can be frozen for longer preservation. As Cabernet Splash is partially self-fertile, you can obtain a harvest if you plant it alone, but it will be better if you plant another variety nearby to promote cross-pollination.

This moderately sized bush reaches about 1 metre (3 feet) in all directions. Its compact dimensions make it easy to grow in containers on a terrace or in areas with limestone soil where it would not be able to thrive. This compact bush produces numerous small decorative white flowers in April-May, with bell-shaped petals that are characteristic of Ericaceae due to their fused petals. In Cabernet Splash, it is the foliage that stands out with its changing colours throughout the months. The small elliptical leaves, with pointed tips, emerge in spring with a dark purple colour, giving it its name (cabernet colour). Then, they take on reddish hues before turning green in summer, each at their own pace, creating a very aesthetic multicoloured appearance. Finally, in autumn, the foliage takes on rich red hues before the leaves fall. Hardy down to approximately -30°C (-22°F), this small bush only grows in cool and acidic soil. It is not suitable for hot regions such as the Mediterranean.

The Cabernet Splash Blueberry is perfect for small gardens, as it allows you to have both fruit production and an ornamental plant. It is also well-suited for container gardening on a terrace, alongside other decorative or even aromatic and culinary plants. You can create a mini-orchard by combining it with dwarf fruit trees, such as the Garden Pearl Dwarf Pear Tree, a self-fertile variety that produces round fruits with soft and sweet flesh. Similarly, the Garden Bing Dwarf Cherry Tree, also self-fertile, will delight you with its bright red, firm, and sweet fruits in June and July.