Vaccinium corymbosum Darrow- American Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Darrow' is a moderately vigorous variety with late production, which produces fairly large, firm, and extremely aromatic blueberries, good for harvesting in August. Like most American blueberries, the foliage turns beautiful shades of red in autumn. This fruit bush, which is perfectly hardy and prefers non-chalky soil, requires little maintenance. Although self-fertile, fruiting is even more abundant when a few plants of other varieties are planted nearby.

The Blueberry bush belongs to the Ericaceae family, which is well-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 fruit production. It is an extremely hardy shrub with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It is easy to grow in very acidic soil (it is intolerant of chalk), in a semi-shaded position, for example morning sun.

The 'Darrow' variety is a fairly old American selection, obtained in 1949, but mainly distributed on the market from 1965 onwards. It is the result of a crossbreeding between three different varieties: (Wareham x Pioneer) x Bluecrop. Growing relatively slowly, Darrow forms a medium-sized bush with numerous stems and a fairly wide, upright, and spreading habit. It reaches about 1.80m (6ft) in all directions at maturity. The foliage consists of medium green elliptical leaves that take on beautiful autumn colours in shades of red. In mid-spring, usually in May, the red flower buds of this shrub open into beautiful small white-pink flowers hanging under the branches in small clusters. This late-yielding variety produces its fruits in August, with the harvest extending for 5 or 6 weeks, sometimes spilling over into September. The blue, pruinose fruits are generally of fairly large calibre, but often slightly uneven in size. They are spherical, flattened in the centre. Firm and thin-skinned, they are reputed to have the most powerful aroma among American blueberries. Their only drawback is their tendency to burst in rainy years.

Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutritional value: they are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that improve night vision. With its numerous qualities, blueberries are considered a superfood, in addition to being a delicious fruit! Blueberries can be consumed freshly picked, 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 'Darrow' together with other varieties of Vaccinium corymbosum to ensure better harvests. With its blue fruits in summer and warm autumn foliage colours, it can also be planted alongside purely ornamental plants that grow in acidic soil and cool conditions like itself. Enkianthus campanulatus var. palibinii produces beautiful pink bells in spring and its foliage turns bright red in autumn. Daphne odora Marianni complements the attributes of "Darrow" with its beautiful evergreen foliage edged in yellow and its early and highly fragrant pink flowering, starting in February.