Powder Blue Blueberry

Powder Blue Blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum 'Powder Blue') is the tough rabbiteye for gardeners who want a big, late summer crop. It grows to 2m to 3m tall and 2m wide, flowers in spring and carries clusters of powder blue berries that ripen in time for Christmas. Red autumn colour and a hardy nature make it one of the more forgiving blueberries you can plant.

Why you'll love it

• Berries for Christmas. A later fruiting season than most, so it extends the picking window when planted with earlier varieties.
• Tough and adaptable. Rabbiteyes handle climate variation better than highbush blueberries and need fewer cold hours, which makes Powder Blue a good choice for milder regions and the warmer states.
• Red autumn colour. The foliage turns red in autumn, and in cool climates the plant is deciduous.
• Frost hardy and heat tolerant. It takes frost and still fruits in heat and humidity, a useful combination for warmer states.
• Hedge or container. It grows into a fruity hedge in acid soil, or a neat container plant where the garden soil is alkaline.

Where it works best

A fruiting hedge. In acid soil, plant 1.5m apart in a row for a dense hedge of 2m or more that you can pick from. Leave a path along one side so the berries are easy to reach.

Containers for alkaline gardens. If your soil is not acid, grow one plant per 50cm pot in acidic potting mix made for azaleas and keep it watered through summer.

A pair for a heavier crop. Rabbiteyes fruit best alongside other varieties. Plant Powder Blue with Brightwell or Premier for the best harvest.

Growing Powder Blue Blueberry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. Powder Blue is frost hardy and fruits in humidity and heat, so it works across subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate climates, and it is an especially good berry for warmer states.

Soil. Free draining and acid. Dig well rotted composted manure through before planting. Without acid soil, grow it in a container instead.

Water and feed. Mulch thickly after planting to protect the shallow roots. Keep the plant well watered through spring and summer, when the berries are filling, and do not let a potted plant dry out.

Pruning. Prune in mid winter to remove weak and crossing wood and open the bush to light. Treat unwanted garden pests with organic eco-oil.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Powder Blue Blueberry as tube stock: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly and is a good way to start a whole hedge on a modest budget. Plant into prepared acid soil, or pot it up into acidic mix.

Supply of Powder Blue Blueberry tubes depends on our grower, who does not always have stock. When the page shows the tube as sold out, add your email with the notify button and we will tell you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow blueberries in Australia
• Edible plants and bush tucker
• Plants with autumn colour
• Hedging and screening plants

Common questions

When does Powder Blue fruit?

It is a later variety, with berries ripening in time for Christmas. Planted with an earlier variety such as Brightwell, you stretch the picking season out.

What is a rabbiteye blueberry?

A group of blueberries that tolerate climate variation better than highbush types and need fewer cold hours to set fruit. That is why they are the usual choice for milder climates.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Use a pot of around 50cm filled with acidic potting mix, keep it moist and feed lightly in spring. It is the right approach wherever the garden soil is alkaline.