Blueberry Plants: Do They Grow In Southern California?

Features

• Native blueberry plants require extended cold weather, called chill hours, for fruit production. The new low-chill cultivars growing in Southern California require minimal cold weather for fruiting. These southern highbush blueberry shrubs provide fresh blueberries and ornamental foliage in mild climates.

Types

• Cultivars suited to Southern California include Misty, fruiting as early as April. Early-flowering Reveille is harvested May through early July. High-yield Sharpblue harvests through June and July. A few cultivars such as Ozark Blue yield late season August berries.

Benefits

• Southern California shrubs provide extended season berries. Due to the mild climate, some cultivars can provide fresh berries all year. In coastal areas, some berries have long harvests of three months or more compared to the average eight-week harvest. Evergreen blueberries give year-round landscape foliage.