Edible landscaping is a fast-spreading trend that incorporates nontraditional plants that are attractive as well as fruiting or edible. Once relegated to the "vegetable area" or back corner of the yard, these plants are now taking center stage in many landscapes.

Southern highbush blueberries let gardeners in California and the Southeast enjoy blueberries just like their Northern neighbors. Southern highbush plants were hybridized for superior fruit, soil adaptability and heat tolerance. These varieties grow well as far north as Seattle and Chicago, offering gardeners foliage, bloom and plant habit characteristics that aren't found in the Northern highbush.

Southern highbush plants have low winter chilling requirements. Chilling is a measure of accumulated hours of temperatures below 45°F in the dormant season. Low-chill varieties can be pruned after the first flush of fruit to induce a second crop later in the year.

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sunshine Blue' is a compact Southern highbush cultivar that typically grows 3-4 feet tall. Dainty, waxy, bell-shaped, white flowers appear in May. Flowers are followed by dark-blue blueberries that ripen in June.

Dark-green leaves turn eye-catching shades of red and purple in fall. Reddish stems can be attractive in winter.

Other Southern highbush varieties to try are 'Misty,' 'Sharpblue,' 'Oneal,' 'Southmoon' and 'Jubilee.'

Top retail seller

Roger's Gardens, a high-end garden center in Corona del Mar, Calif., stocks 'Sunshine Blue' year-round. It is among the store's Top 5 biggest sellers, said nursery manager Ron Vanderhoff.

"For around $30, the same price they'll pay at a local market for a dozen or so baskets of fruit, local gardeners can pick up a small 'Sunshine Blue' plant that will yield up to 10 pounds each year," Vanderhoff said. "It seems that people have suddenly discovered that with just a little effort they can enjoy better-tasting blueberries than they'll find in the expensive trays in local markets," he said.

As the most adaptable of the Southern highbush, 'Sunshine Blue' is suited for patio or container gardens.

Potted blueberry plants are a great gardening project for children, who delight in harvesting the fruit.

Culture tips

Blueberries are best grown in acidic (pH 4.8-5.2), organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. A sunny spot on the patio or in the garden with at least six hours of direct sunlight provides ideal conditions.

Shallow, fibrous roots need consistent moisture. Irrigate frequently to keep the growing medium moist but not wet.

Although blueberries are self-fertile, cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop (larger berries and larger yields).

Planted in the ground, a 'Sunshine Blue' plant requires an acid soil amendment. In 16- to 18-inch pots, plants flourish in an azalea/camellia planting mix such as Gardner & Bloome Acid Planting Mix.

Prune plants as needed in late winter beginning the third year after planting.

Vanderhoff recommended an all-organic acid fertilizer or an acid-inducing plant food like Dr. Earth Azalea/Camellia Food or cottonseed meal for monthly feedings from early spring through early fall.

There are no serious insect or disease problems. Birds love the fruit, so plants may need to be covered with netting as the fruit begins to ripen.

Chlorosis can occur in high-pH soils. Potential but infrequent disease problems include stem blight, root rot, anthracnose, cane cankers, mildew and botrytis.

'Sunshine Blue' is effective in shrub borders or as part of less formal shrub plantings in areas such as native plant gardens or open woodlands. Plant it in conjunction with rhododendrons and azaleas, which share similar acidic soil requirements.

— Kevin Neal

SPECIFICS:
Name: Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sunshine Blue'
Common name: 'Sunshine Blue' Southern highbush blueberry.
Family: Ericaceae.
Description: Edible and ornamental highbush blueberry. Grows into a dense, rounded, semi-dwarf plant to 3-4-feet high and wide.
Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9.
Landscape uses: Edible landscaping, containers, mixed borders, hedges, native plant gardens, open woodlands.
For more: Roger's Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625; (949) 640-5800; www.rogersgardens.com.

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© 2006 Branch-Smith Publishing