Rabbiteye Blueberries for Late Season Color

Blueberry (Vacciunium spp.) shrubs provide some of the best late season color in our garden. Their fiery foliage gets better as the weather cools. During November, the leaves slowly transform from green to yellow reaching their peak color of orange and red during December.  

In our garden, six shrubs create a vibrant hedgerow that borders the kitchen garden and industrial looking storm water runoff area. More shrubs provide a screen along our property line.

In March these shrubs are covered in blooms that support early emerging native pollinators such as the Southeastern blueberry bee, swallowtail and skipper butterflies and clearwing moths. I have written about these shrubs in their  spring form in the previous years. You read about them here and here.

Mixing annual edibles with ornamentals in a home garden is a popular practice in residential landscapes. Adding edible shrubs and trees is another great way to add long term value. Not only do will they provide you with delicious berries but many fruit bearing shrubs provide interest for three to four seasons.

Rabbiteye species are native to Georgia and grow well across the state. Choose at least two varieties that bloom at the same time to provide cross-pollination, which ensures better fruit set and larger berries. If you want a broader harvest season plant several varieties with early to mid to late season ripening times. 

Early Season: Austin,  Alapaha, Climax, Premier, Vernon, Titan

Mid-Season: Brightwell, Powderblue, Tifblue

Late Season: Baldwin, Centurion, Ochlockonee

Note on other types of blueberries grown in Georgia

Southern highbush are typically grown [commercially] in south Georgia. They are more difficult to grow and are more prone to be eaten by deer making them a less desirable choice for the home garden. This species ripens early in the season and is attractive to birds and other wildlife.

Northern highbush is a good option for the mountains of North Georgia. This species generally blooms later in the spring making it a better choice for areas that are prone to late spring freezes. This species does need higher chill hours than rabbiteye so it isn't recommended for the Piedmont region.  

Blueberry shrubs are easy to grow in the right soil and light conditions, preferring acidic soils with a 4.5 to 5.5 pH and at least 6 hours of sun. In the home landscape blueberries are an attractive shrubs that can be planted in masses to create a hedgerow or privacy screen. They can be used as a focal point in the landscape or grown in containers for smaller spaces or patio gardens.  Now is a good time to plant them.