Polaris Blueberry

Group/Class: Half-High Blueberry

Description:

A very hardy hybrid blueberry with an upright spreading habit, produces excellent crops of tangy sweet light blue fruit in early summer; all blueberries require highly acidic soils, excellent drainage and a good mulch, plant with plenty of peat moss

Ornamental Features:

Polaris Blueberry has green foliage throughout the season. The glossy oval leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall. It features dainty clusters of white bell-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones hanging below the branches in mid spring. It features an abundance of magnificent blue berries in mid summer, which are excellent for fresh eating, cooking and baking and making jams and jellies. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

Landscape Attributes:

Polaris Blueberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

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.

Polaris Blueberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Plant Characteristics:

Polaris Blueberry will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 feet from the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

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 leaves 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 zones.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.