shrub

Sunshine Blue Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sunshine Blue'

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Sunshine Blue Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sunshine Blue') at Superior Garden Center

Sunshine Blue Blueberry fruit

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Sunshine Blue Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sunshine Blue') at Superior Garden Center

Sunshine Blue Blueberry flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  4 feet

Spread:  4 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4a

Group/Class:  Highbush Blueberry

Description:

A dwarf variety with sweetly-flavored light blue fruit in summer and pretty bell-shaped flowers, bushy and compact with a lovely red fall color; blueberries need highly acidic soil, perfect drainage and mulch, plant with peat moss

Ornamental Features

Sunshine Blue Blueberry is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent blue berries in early summer. It features dainty clusters of pink bell-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones hanging below the branches in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall. The smooth tan bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The round sweet berries are most often used in the following ways:

  • Fresh Eating
  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Preserves

Landscape Attributes

Sunshine Blue Blueberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sunshine Blue Blueberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Planting & Growing

Sunshine Blue Blueberry will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have sandy, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Orchard 
Applications
Flowers  Fruit  Fall Color  Bark  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features

This Plant Finder tool is an online resource representing many of the varieties that we carry over the course of the season, and is intended for informational purposes only. Inventory varies seasonally, so we cannot guarantee that every plant will be in stock at all times - please contact the store directly for current availability. It does not include our entire selection of plants, so be sure to visit our store to see varieties that may not be represented on this list.