Vaccinium Pink Lemonade- Organic Blueberry

The 'Pink Lemonade' Blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) is a variety with a compact habit, producing berries of a stunning bright pink colour. Its fruits are firm, sweet, and aromatic. The cultivated Blueberry is a bush that can reach a height of 1.50m (5ft), growing in acidic soils. Planting is ideally done in autumn or throughout the year, excluding freezing periods, for a harvest starting in August.

The Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, like heathers and rhododendrons. There are different types:

- the wild blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), a small bush of about 30cm (12in), naturally growing in the undergrowth

- the cultivated blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum or ashei), native to North America, grown in gardens. It produces larger and more numerous fruits and can reach a height of 1.50m (5ft).

The cultivated Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum or ashei) is a very hardy bush, forming a dense bushy habit, reaching a height of 1.50m (5ft), with a spread of 80cm (32in). The deciduous leaves are 2 to 3cm (1in) long, lanceolate, elliptical, entire and dentate, medium green, becoming bright orange in autumn. Flowering occurs in early May, in the form of small white bell-shaped flowers with faded red edges, 0.5 to 1cm long, clustered in pendulous clusters 2 to 5cm (1 to 2in) long at the tips of the stems. It is followed by the formation of large berries, 1cm (0.3in) in diameter, usually blue-purple or sometimes pink, as in the 'Pink Lemonade' variety. They ripen in summer, with the first harvest appearing from the 2nd year of cultivation. On the same plant, the harvest will be staggered depending on the ripeness of the fruits. Blueberries are firm and sweet, with a pleasantly acidic taste. Blueberries are low in calories but highly nutritious: they are very rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They can be eaten freshly picked, enjoyed as juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or used in pastries (pies, muffins...). Blueberries can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation.

To ensure good pollination and fruiting, it is advised to plant at least 2 to 3 Blueberry plants of the same variety or different varieties (including self-fertile varieties). In the garden, Blueberries will blend in beautifully in acidic soil beds, alongside rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, heathers...