Vaccinium corymbosum Legacy- American Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy' is a mid-season blueberry variety with very large fruits, moderate growth, suitable for small spaces and container gardening. This bush is covered in May with small pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers, which are highly decorative against the fairly dark green foliage. They develop into large blueberries, ready to be harvested from mid-July to late August. Both decorative and delicious, they can be consumed fresh or in desserts. In autumn, the foliage takes on magnificent orange colours. For all blueberries, fruiting is even more abundant if another variety is planted nearby.

The Blueberry Bush belongs to the Ericaceae family, best known in the garden for its many 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 is grown in very acidic soil (not tolerant of limestone), in a semi-shaded position, for example in the morning sun.

The 'Legacy' cultivar is an American horticultural creation dating back to 1993. It is a slow-growing bush distinguished by its compact habit and very large fruits. With an upright and slightly spreading habit, this bush does not exceed 1.50m (5ft) in height and 1.20 m (4ft) in width. The foliage consists of fairly dark green elliptical and pointed leaves. Its upright branches take on beautiful autumn colours in shades of orange, giving it real ornamental value.

This is enhanced by its charming flowering, when in May this bush is covered in small bell-shaped white flowers, distinctly tinged with pink. In the case of Legacy, these flowers develop into very large blueberries with a slight bloom, slightly acidic in taste. They can be harvested for 5 to 6 weeks, from mid-July to late August.

In terms of nutrition, it should be noted that blueberries are low-calorie fruits but of high nutritional value: they are very rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that improve night vision. Blueberries can be consumed freshly picked, in juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins). The fruit can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation.

Plant "Legacy" alongside other varieties to promote a good harvest. Its flowering and especially its flamboyant autumn colours are particularly decorative and will not look out of place among "solely ornamental" shrubs. In the background of your group of Blueberry Bushes, plant the amazing Cornus Kousa Milky Way, a dogwood that has exceptional flowering, with "flowers" that cause the foliage to disappear in May-June, decorative strawberry-shaped fruits from September, and foliage that turns bright scarlet in autumn. You can also create beautiful combinations with one of the many ornamental varieties of Magnolia, an exceptional genus known for its flowering.