Introduction

Rabbit-eye varieties (Vaccinium ashei) reside in the southeastern United States. Florida is inhabited by at least 8 species of wild blueberries. Rabbit’s eye plants are more vigorous, easier to care for, and live longer than most southern varieties. . They can handle drought better than tall bush blueberries. They can grow adequately in soils with a lesser amount of organic matter in them. Rabbiteye blueberries are typically firmer than southern varieties with thicker skin. The seeds tend to be somewhat more distinct than those of the tall bush. Its shelf life after harvest is exceptional and generally superior to Highbush.

It is not unusual to have severe crop losses due to frost in the spring. This is especially true for early varieties that flower before mid-season and late rabbit’s eyes. For u-pick growers and home gardeners, late-blooming plants like Brightwell and Powderblue generally produce crops without frost protection in many locations.

Rabbiteye blueberry plants need cross-pollination with other rabbiteye varieties to produce crops. That is, they do not self-pollinate. Therefore, more than one variety is needed to ensure cross-pollination.

In many cases, rabbiteye can be machine harvested for the local market. Since highbush blueberries and rabbiteye blueberries are similar enough, most consumers don’t tell the difference between the two varieties. Rabbiteyes are generally better suited for local collection and sale, while southern tall bushes are better suited for shipping. Blueberry varieties can be separated into three broad categories: early season, mid season, and late season. U-pick growers and home gardeners who don’t need an early-ripening variety will find mid- and late-season varieties more reliable for producing blueberries.

Five Popular Varieties of Rabbit’s Eye

Rabbit’s Eye Blueberry Plague

A gall midge, it is a newly discovered pest of rabbiteye blueberries in the southeastern US. The midge larvae feed indoors and destroy flower buds, resulting in poor yields. Rabbiteye blueberry cultivars differ greatly in their resistance to infestation by blueberry gall midges. Powderblue and Brightwell are highly resistant to flower bud damage; Climax and Tifblue are moderately susceptible; and Premier is highly susceptible. Most southern highbush blueberry cultivars are highly resistant to flower bud damage.

brightwell was released by the University of Georgia in 1983. It is a rabbit-eye type variety from the Coastal Plains Experiment Station in Tifton, GA. It is an upright, vigorous plant and an exceptionally consistent producer. It is early to mid-season ripening and its fruit is medium to large with a small dry scar. It has a sweet flavor and can be harvested mechanically for the processed or fresh market. Blueberry quality is firm with little to no harvest scar. It is thought by some to be among the best rabbit-eye strains currently available. The fruit ripens after Climax. The height of a mature shrub is 8 to 12 feet tall and spreading. Yields of 8 to 14 pounds per bush are produced at maturity. It is a highly productive plant. It has an estimated cooling requirement of 350 to 400 cooling hours. Its hardiness zone is 7 to 9.

Climax was launched in 1976 by the University of Georgia. It is an early maturing rabbit eye type cultivar. The height of a mature shrub is 6 to 10 feet tall and spreading. Yields at maturity of 8 to 22 pounds per bush can be expected. It has a concentrated maturation and can be harvested by hand or by machine for the fresh market. The fruit is medium in size and has a small scar and a sweet taste. Climax reliably blooms a lot. Harvesting can be manual or mechanical. The ornamental use of Climax is good. It has a rounded leaf that is dark green in the summer and fiery red in the fall through winter. Climax is one of the main pollinating cultivars of the southern blueberry region. It is very vulnerable to cranberry gall midge. It is estimated that it requires 450 to 500 hours of cooling. Its hardiness zone is 7 to 9.

First was developed and released by North Carolina State University. It ripens early to mid-season. It is a vigorous and prolific plant with fruits of excellent flavor, color and size, and the fruits store very well. It is very productive and the canes of young plants may not be able to support heavy crop loads. The height of a mature shrub is 6-10 feet, tall upright growth, good foliage. Yields of 8 to 16 pounds per bush can be expected at maturity. Harvesting is done by hand or mechanically. Marketing should focus on early U-Pick, commercial fresh market or processed. The ornamental use is good; bright green foliage during the summer makes the shrub stand out. is very vulnerable to cranberry gall midge and should not be planted unless you have a spray program in place to control this insect. It is estimated that it requires 550 hours of cold. Its hardiness zone is 6 to 9.

tifazul – The University of Georgia released this cultivar several years ago and it has been widely planted. It is a mid-season ripening rabbit eye variety of medium to large light blue fruit. Its blueberry quality is good and firm. Tiftblue cranberries are among the tastiest rabbiteye cranberries. The plants are productive, vigorous, resistant and upright. The height of a mature shrub is 8 to 14 feet, tall and vigorous. Mature plant yields of 8 to 25 pounds per bush can be expected in irrigated plantings. Harvesting can be done by hand or mechanically. Tifblue rates as the best ornamental for fall leaf color. It was presented by Otis J. Woodard and the USDA at the University of Georgia Experiment Station in Tifton, GA. The Tifblue Blueberry plant was a breakthrough in hybridization of native cultivars. Those hybrid blueberry cultivars kickstarted the rise of the dramatic commercial rabbiteye blueberry trade that has become a new berry agricultural bonanza that is reshaping the economy of the South. Tifblue is more cold hardy than most rabbiteye blueberry varieties. For this reason, some think that it should be the predominant variety in any plantation. However, it has severe fruit cracking problems during wet weather. It seems that Tifblue can be replaced by Powder blue. It is estimated that it requires 550 to 600 chill hours. Its hardiness zone is 7 to 9.

pale blue It is a rabbit eye type with late maturation. It is vigorous, upright and easy to grow. It is extremely productive producing blueberries of medium size, sky blue, very firm, with a small harvest scar and a long shelf life. Powder Blue is the main late-season Rabbiteye variety in production today. It is similar to Tifblue in harvest characteristics, ripening season, and appearance. Thus, the two varieties can be harvested together. The plant is quite energetic, outperforming most tall bush varieties. Powder blue has high yields, rivaling the superior highbush. Blueberries are medium in size, quick to pick, sky blue in color, and resistant to cracking. In general, powder blue cracks less and stays on the plant better than Tifblue. Blue powder is considered a particularly dependent producer. It is estimated that it requires 350 to 400 hours of cooling. Blue Powder is recommended for all rabbit eye plantings where superior late season blueberries are desired. Its hardiness zone is 7 to 9.