Southern Highbush
Sunshine Blue delivers the rare magic of an evergreen blueberry that thrives in warm climates where traditional varieties struggle. This compact Southern Highbush cultivar, introduced in 1979, produces dime-sized berries with sweet-tangy flavor over an exceptionally long harvest season from June through July. Growing just 3-4 feet tall and wide, it flourishes in zones 5-10 with only 150 chilling hours required, making it perfect for Pacific Northwest gardens, Southern landscapes, and California containers where most highbush varieties fail.
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Full Sun
Moderate
5-10
48in H x 48in W
Perennial
Moderate
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What sets Sunshine Blue apart is its remarkable adaptability and ornamental beauty year-round. The evergreen foliage provides constant visual interest while hot pink spring flowers create stunning seasonal display before yielding 5-10 pounds of medium blue berries per bush. This self-pollinating variety ripens fruit over several weeks rather than all at once, extending your fresh blueberry season significantly. Its tolerance for higher soil pH up to 5.5 and container growing success make it exceptionally versatile for challenging growing situations.
Fresh eating remains the primary joy of Sunshine Blue, with its sweet-tangy berries perfect for snacking straight from the bush during the extended harvest season. The substantial 5-10 pound annual yield makes it excellent for canning and freezing projects, while the evergreen nature and ornamental hot pink blooms position it beautifully as an edible landscape shrub that provides year-round garden structure and seasonal interest.
After unpacking, allow the plant several days to gradually acclimate to full-sun exposure. Dig a hole approximately 2.5 feet around and 1 foot deep, replacing one-third to half the soil with moistened peat moss and mixing thoroughly. Position the plant so the root ball sits slightly higher than ground level, mounding soil well around it, then water thoroughly and apply 2-4 inches of mulch using straw, sawdust, or wood shavings.
Berries reach perfect ripeness when completely blue and slightly springy when squeezed gently, typically beginning in June and continuing through July. Harvest regularly throughout the extended ripening period as fruits don't all mature simultaneously. Pick berries in the morning when cool and refrigerate shortly after harvest, waiting to wash them until ready to eat to maximize storage life.
With its naturally compact growth habit reaching 36-48 inches tall and wide, Sunshine Blue requires minimal pruning beyond removing dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Focus on maintaining the mounding bush shape and ensuring good air circulation through the center.
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“Sunshine Blue emerged in 1979 as a carefully selected Southern Highbush variety bred specifically for superior fruit quality and remarkable soil adaptability. Plant breeders chose this cultivar for its ability to break the traditional barriers of blueberry growing, allowing gardeners in warmer climates and challenging soil conditions to successfully grow highbush blueberries where they previously couldn't thrive.”