Vaccinium virgatum
Origin: Florida
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~50
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Rabbiteye blueberry is a delicious native blueberry species endemic to the US southeast, from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas. Its general look and growth habit is similar to highbush blueberries, though the plant is smaller. Like most blueberries, the plants are self-infertile, so require other individual plants nearby (not identical clones). It's pollinated only by native bees, especially the highly-specialized southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa), and is rarely impacted by pests or diseases.
The berries themselves are just as tasty and useful as any other blueberry, making fantastic pies, jams, jellies, muffins, pancakes, breads, sauces, syrups, wines, vinegars, etc. This species has proven an important one in modern blueberry breeding, especially for blueberries intended to be grown in places like California, where they don't get the usual winter-chill of states like New Jersey, where much important early blueberry breeding work was done (see our write-up on the Elizabeth Coleman White blueberry breeding mix we offer). Rabbiteye blueberry is also a pretty plant, used as an ornamental in some plantings, with lovely lantern-shaped flowers and striking orange-red fall foliage.
Our Florida-grown seed comes to us from the good folks at Sheffield's Seeds in Locke, NY.
GROWING TIPS: Does best in Zones 7-9, but some seedlings can likely survive a zone (or maybe even two) higher or lower. Seeds generally require no special treatment, but should be soaked for 24 hours prior to planting. Expect slow and patchy germination. Surface sow.
NOTE: Close-up photo of berries is from Jerry Payne, USDA-ARS and bugwood.org, and is shared here under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States license.
