‘Summer Sunset': A New Ornamental Blueberry Variety

There is growing interest in edible ornamentals by both the home garden and landscape industry.  Consumers are increasingly attracted to edible plants that offer aesthetic appeal while providing them with the opportunity for garden fresh produce on their patio or outdoor living space.  The blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) hybrid ‘Summer Sunset’ was jointly released in 2010 by The University of Georgia and USDA-ARS for the edible ornamental market.  The new variety ripens with early rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) varieties in the Southeastern U.S.  ‘Summer Sunset’s’ novel appeal is the presence of an array of multi-colored berries as the fruit goes through stages of ripening.   Berries are generally medium size (14 to 16 mm diameter), and progress in color (based on Royal Horticultural Society’s Color Chart) from RHS Yellow-Green 145 C, to RHS Orange-Red 34 C and N34 C, to RHS Red 47 C, to RHS Red-Purple 59 C, to RHS Black 202 A when fully ripe.  Fruit are slightly tart when first ripe, and gradually get sweeter as they hang.  The plant of ‘Summer Sunset’ is vigorous, reaching a height of 1.2 m with a canopy width of more than 0.75 m on 3-year old plants.  The new variety is estimated to have a chilling requirement of 500 to 550 hours below 7 C, and will likely perform well in USDA hardiness zones 6b thru 9a.  A patent for the new variety has been applied for.  Propagation rights are controlled by University of Georgia Research Foundation, Technology Commercialization Office, GSRC Boyd Bldg, Athens, Ga.  30602-7411. (www.ovpr.uga.edu/tco/).