Southern Highbush: Low Chill

Zones 8–10 / 250 Chill Hrs.

Southern Highbush blueberries are low chill varieties and offer gardeners in California, the Sunbelt, and the Southeast region an opportunity to enjoy blueberries just like their northern neighbors. Southern Highbush are specifically hybridized for superior fruit, soil adaptability, heat tolerance and low winter chilling. This makes them particularly suitable for coastal areas of California as well as the inland valleys.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, these varieties also grow very well as far north as Seattle, offering gardeners unique foliage, bloom and plant characteristics that aren’t found in the Northern Highbush. Most Southern Highbush are self-pollinizing, but the berries will be larger if two varieties are planted together. These varieties have low winter chilling requirements. “Chilling” is a measure of accumulated hours of temperatures below 45°F in the dormant season. The chilling hours required are listed for each variety on our variety chart.

Denotes varieties licensed to Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc. Please refer to our Variety Charts for license details.

Southern Highbush Emerald U.S. Plant Patent No. 12,165 Photos	250 Chill Hours, Zone 8-10			Mildly Sweet	5-6 Ft, Rounded Spreading
	NEW! Emerald yields abundant crops of the largest Southern Highbush berries with a mild, sweet flavor. Its rounded, spreading bush habit make it a great landscape plant. Dependable in southern climates with a low chill requirement of 250 hours. Fall Creek® is licensed to sell Emerald throughout the United States and is the exclusive licensed nursery for the western states. Licensor: Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Exclusive Territory(s): US - Western States (WA, OR, CA, AZ), Republic of South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay Non-Exclusive Territory(s): US - All Other States

Southern Highbush Jewel U.S. Plant Patent No. 11,807 Photos	200 Chill Hours, Zone 8-10			Tangy	6-8 Ft, Upright
	NEW! Jewel has become one of the leading varieties in California due to its adaptability, exceptional growth, high yields, and large tangy fruit. Jewel is excellent for warmer regions due to its low chill requirement of 200 hours. Plant with other midseason varieties for best pollination. Fall Creek is licensed to sell Jewel throughout the United States and is the exclusive licensed nursery for the western states. Licensor: Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Exclusive Territory(s): US - Western States (WA, OR, CA, AZ), Republic of South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay Non-Exclusive Territory(s): US - All Other States, Chile

Southern Highbush Jubilee Photos	500 Chili Hours, Zone 5-9			Fresh, Sweet	5-6 Ft, Upright
	Jubilee was developed in Mississippi where growing conditions can be tough. It has distinguished itself by performing well in heavier soils through summer heat and sudden winter cold. We especially like the taste of these easy picking, bountiful crops of sky blue berries that grow in large clus- ters and ripen over two weeks. Jubilee is recommended throughout the South and California in areas that receive at least 500 chilling hours.

Southern Highbush Misty Photos	300 Chill Hours, Zone 5-10			Spicy, Sweet	4-6 Ft, Spreading, Upright
	Misty is one of the most attractive, vigorous and high yielding Southern Highbush varieties. The bright blue-green foliage provides a perfect contrast to the pink and white spring flowers and sky blue summer fruit. Yields best when planted with other varieties. Chilling needs are very low at 300 hours, but don’t hesitate to offer it all the way to Seattle.

Southern Highbush Southmoon U.S. Plant Patent No. 9,834 Photos	400 Chill Hours, Zone 6-9			Complex, Robust	5-6 Ft, Upright, Vigorous
	Southmoon is recommended if your customers are asking for exceptional berries. It does especially well in lighter, sandy soils with generous additions of organic matter. This Florida native is performing well in California where chilling hours reach 500. We believe that it will become a favorite for southern gardeners.

Southern Highbush Oneal Photos	600 Chill Hours, Zone 5-9			Juicy, Sweet	4-6 Ft, Spreading, Upright
	Oneal is considered by some to have the best flavor of all the Southern Highbush blueberries. Summer foliage is an attractive gray-green accented with red stems and branches. The correct soil pH is important and should be 4.5–5.5 for success with this variety. Oneal has a chilling requirement of 500-600 hours.

Southern Highbush Sharpblue Photos	200 Chill Hours, Zone 7-10			Abundant, Robust	5-6 Ft, Spreading, Upright
	Sharpblue is the leading and most adaptable variety in low chill areas throughout the world. Great for milder zones, it requires only 200 chilling hours. Sharpblue will bloom and fruit almost year round, with foliage remaining nearly evergreen. We recommend Sharpblue in areas with mild winters where frosts are uncommon.

Southern Highbush Star U.S. Plant Patent No. 10,675 Photos	400 Chill Hours, Zone 8-10			Sweet	6-7 Ft, Upright
	NEW! Star has been a valuable contributor to the growth of the commercial blueberry industry in southern regions for good reason. From a strong, upright growing plant, large berries with pleasantly sweet flavor can now compliment early season bounty in home gardens. Fall Creek is licensed to sell Star throughout the United States and is the exclusive licensed nursery for the western states. Star has a chilling requirement of 400 hours. Licensor: Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Exclusive Territory(s): US - Western States (WA, OR, CA, AZ), Republic of South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay Non-Exclusive Territory(s): US - All Other States, Chile & Mexico

Southern Highbush Sunshine Blue Photos	150 Chill Hours, Zone 5-10			Rich, Sweet	3 Ft, Compact, Upright
	For gardens from San Diego to Seattle, Sunshine Blue has it all. This semi-dwarf, versatile evergreen blueberry features showy hot pink flowers that fade to white in spring, yielding large crops of delicious berries. Sunshine Blue tolerates higher pH soils better than many other blueberries and it is self-pollinizing. The low chilling requirement of 150 hours makes it suitable for Southern California, but we find it is surprisingly cold-hardy and a wonderful addition to our patios and gardens here in the Pacific Northwest.