Vaccinium corymbosum Spartan- American Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Spartan' is a good variety of blueberry bush, vigorous and early, producing very large fruits. Its tasty, sweet and slightly acidic fruits ripen as early as July. The bush produces pretty little flowers in April-May and its foliage turns beautiful shades of red to purple in autumn. Very resistant to cold, this variety is relatively easy to grow in non-calcareous soil and requires little maintenance. For all blueberry bushes, fruiting is even more abundant if another variety is planted nearby.

The Blueberry bush belongs to the Ericaceae family, well known in gardens for its many ornamental genera. The shrubby blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America, is the one cultivated in gardens for its abundance and quality of fruiting. It is an extremely hardy bush, with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It is grown in very acidic soil (not tolerating limestone), in a semi-shaded position, for example in the morning sun.

The 'Spartan' cultivar is an American horticultural creation with a fairly upright habit, forming a bushy shrub with a spreading habit, reaching an average height of 1 to 1.50 metres (3 to 5 feet) and a width of 0.80 to 1 metre (3 feet). The foliage consists of fairly dark green elliptical and pointed leaves. Its arching branches take on sumptuous autumnal colours, from bright red to intense purple, which can rival many purely ornamental plants.

Flowering occurs in April-May, in the form of small white bell-shaped flowers with pink edges, 0.5 to 1 cm (0in) long, grouped in pendulous clusters 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long, at the tips of the stems. It is followed by numerous blue berries, slightly covered with bloom. These large berries (about 1.5 cm (1in) in diameter) are spherical and flat, and ripen as early as July. Harvesting will be staggered according to the ripeness of the fruits. Blueberries are firm, sweet, with a slightly acidic flavor.

Blueberries are low in calories, but high in nutritional value: they are very rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as calcium and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that are said to improve night vision. Blueberries can be eaten 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.

The 'Spartan' blueberry can be planted in groups if you want to ensure abundant harvests, but it can also be integrated into a bed of acid-loving plants with the same needs. Its flowering and especially its flamboyant autumn colours are particularly decorative and will not look out of place among "purely ornamental" shrubs. The Fothergilla gardenii, a small shrub with beautiful spring white brush-like flowers and magnificent autumn colours, will be a good companion, as well as Calluna heathers that grow in acidic soil, such as 'Marlies', a variety with red flowers in summer.