Vaccinium virgatum

Rabbiteye blueberry is in the Ericaceae (heath) family. The common name rabbiteye comes from the fact that the fruit is pink before it turns blue like the color of a white rabbit's eye. Though there are at least 17 species native to North Carolina, V. virgatum is the most adaptable and commercially available.  

Blueberries require a lower soil pH than many other small fruit crops and other plants. Therefore, consider grouping them with other acid-loving plants such as hollies, azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias. Before planting, take a soil test. The ideal pH for blueberries is between 4.0 and 5.0 or 5.5, depending on the cultivar. Little annual attention is required, except for occasional pruning. The plants' feeder roots are very close to the surface and do not have root hairs; therefore, good soil moisture management and heavy mulches are needed. Deep sandy soils cannot be used unless they are drip irrigated. Plants will not tolerate heavy clay soils with poor aeration and drainage.

Both the highbush and rabbiteye types grow well in North Carolina and especially well in swamps, but also drier areas. In comparison to highbush, rabbiteye is more widely adapted to various soil types, can tolerate higher pH, and has a lower chilling requirement so that it will bloom earlier than highbush. It requires more than one variety to be planted for proper cross-pollination. Plant different cultivars to extend the berry picking season. 

This plant offers both beauty and tasty fruit throughout most of the year. It also adds grace to the landscape and provides dazzling color in the fall with brilliant yellow and red foliage that lights up the landscape. Use it in an edible, children’s, pollinator, or native garden as a hedge, privacy screen, or specimen plant.

Because they bloom so early blossoms can be subject to late winter frosts.

Quick ID

• Pendulous axillary clusters of urceolate flowers
• White to pinkish flowers appear with unfolding foliage
• Edible, globose, blue-black berries mid- to late summer

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Spotted wing drosophila may attack the fruit. Potential but infrequent disease problems include stem blight, root rot, anthracnose, cane canker, mildew, and botrytis. Mummy berry is a fungal disease that causes the berries to shrivel and drop. Birds relish the fruit, so cover shrubs with netting as the fruit ripens. These plants are frequently damaged by deer. If the soil pH is too high, it will cause chlorosis (yellowing of leaves).  

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

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