Bushel and Berry® Peach Sorbet Blueberry

Blueberries are America’s favorite fruit, and we are the biggest eaters of them on the planet. With such a large country we need many different varieties that are adapted to different climates for everyone to be able to grow them at home. Thanks to the efforts of breeders over the years we have that, and there is a blueberry variety for almost everywhere. If you live in a warm zone, love blueberries, but have a small garden, or want an ornamental garden, not a farm, then we have just the thing for you. The Bushel & Berry® Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush is a compact evergreen bush that is small enough and attractive enough to grow in the finest garden, or in containers. It is adapted to warm zones, thriving even in zone 9, and it gives a crop of tasty blueberries. Adding to its ornamental features are the colorful new leaves that pass through shades of yellow, peach, pink, orange and red, while the winter leaves are eggplant purple.

Growing the Bushel & Berry® Peach Sorbet

Size and Appearance

The Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush is a compact evergreen shrub, growing just 18 to 24 inches tall and wide, with dense, leafy growth. The glossy leaves are oval, 1½ inches long, and the new leaves are colorful. They emerge the color of green bananas, with peach-colored tips, gradually darkening to orange-red, before maturing to a rich, mellow green. The leaves do not fall off for winter, but they do turn a handsome eggplant purple in fall, staying that way all winter, before the new leaves emerge again. You can expect a whole rainbow of colors over the seasons from this cheerful bush.

From mid-April to the end of May your bush will bloom profusely. The small creamy-white and pale-pink flowers are like small bells, or upside-down urns. They are in clusters of 4 to 5 flowers, which have a faint pleasant fragrance. As the flowers fade they develop into small green berries, which grow and gradually ripen. This variety is self-pollinating, and it will produce a good crop even if you have no other varieties around. The berries begin to ripen in late July, and they turn greenish yellow and then pink before becoming the classic rich, inky blue-black we love. The berries have the soft pale gray powdery coating of good blueberries, and they look beautiful sitting on the bush. They are large, almost ¾ in an inch across, with a sweet and pleasant flavor, full of blueberry goodness. This plant carries a very heavy crop for its size, with mature bushes giving up to 3 pounds of berries when well-grown. You will have plenty to put in the freezer after enjoying them fresh off the bush, so nothing will go to waste.

Using the Bushel & Berry® Peach Sorbet in Your Garden

The Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush is a beautiful decorative shrub that can be grown anywhere in your garden. Grow it at the front of your beds, as an edging along a path or around a shrub bed, or in containers, where it looks great right on your porch or deck.

Hardiness

The Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush is a warm zone bush, hardy in zone 6 and a reliable bearer all the way into zone 9. It needs between 300 and 500 hours in winter with nights below 45 degrees, and that is going to happen even in warmer areas. This variety is not suitable for cold regions, but we have lots of great Bushel & Berry varieties that are – check out our current selection.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush in full sun for the best crops and foliage colors. The soil should be rich and moist, as these plants are not drought resistant. The soil must be acidic, with a pH value of 5.5 or less, to be able to grow them well in your garden. If your soil is not acidic enough, this small bush grows very well in planters and pots. Use potting soils blended for acid-loving plants like azaleas or camellias. Add some shredded pine bark, and use that bark to also mulch your plants.

Maintenance and Pruning

Keep your plants well-watered and apply a fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs in spring and again in early summer, especially on pot-grown plants. No special pruning is needed, and pests or diseases normally won’t bother your bushes. Containers must have drainage holes, but don’t let the soil dry very much, or your crop will suffer. With the right soil acidity this plant is easy to grow and should carry an excellent crop.

History and Origin of the Bushel & Berry® Peach Sorbet

The Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush is a variety of the northern highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, but bred for warmer zones. It was created by David Brazelton and Adam Wagner, who are breeders at Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc., of Lowell Oregon, one of America’s most successful breeders and developers of new blueberry varieties. They breed mostly for commercial growers, but the Peach Sorbet variety was bred and selected for home gardeners. To develop it they crossed several of their existing varieties, over several generations, before finding what they wanted. They patented their new plant in 2013 with the official name of `ZF06-043` and released it as Peach Sorbet in the Bushel & Berry® range of home fruit bushes created by Star® Roses and Plants.

Buying the Bushel & Berry® Peach Sorbet at The Tree Center

The special dual qualities of the Peach Sorbet Blueberry Bush, combining attractive flowers and exciting leaf colors with a big crop of quality blueberries, makes this a very special bush. Home gardeners are excited by the plants in the Bushel & Berry® range, and we are seeing how popular they are. Our stock is limited, so order your bushes now, while we can still satisfy you – enjoy this new way to grow fruit without a dedicated berry garden.