Pearl Blueberry Plant

Pearl Blueberry is an early-ripening Southern Highbush variety known for its exceptionally large, light-blue berries, excellent flavor, and firm texture. The berries form in attractive clusters and have a small, dry picking scar, making them easy to harvest and excellent for fresh eating, freezing, baking, jams, and preserves.

Developed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Poplarville, Mississippi, Pearl was selected for improved vigor, early harvest, and adaptation to the southeastern United States. It ripens several weeks before the earliest rabbiteye blueberries, helping gardeners begin their blueberry season earlier.

Plant Details

• Plant Type: Deciduous fruiting shrub
• Botanical Name: Vaccinium hybrid ‘Pearl’
• Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
• Mature Size: Approximately 5–6 feet tall and 4–5 feet wide
• Sun: Full sun for the best flowering, fruit production, and berry sweetness
• USDA Zones: Approximately 7–9
• Chill Hours: Approximately 400–500 hours
• Bloom Time: Early spring; mid- to late March in south Mississippi
• Harvest Time: Early season, generally May through early June, depending on location and weather
• Fruit: Very large, attractive, light-blue berries
• Flavor: Sweet with excellent fresh blueberry flavor
• Texture: Very firm
• Picking Scar: Small and dry
• Pollination: Plant with another Southern Highbush blueberry with overlapping bloom time
• Soil: Acidic, moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter
• Preferred Soil pH: Approximately 4.0–5.5
• Water: Keep evenly moist during establishment, flowering, and fruit development without allowing the roots to remain waterlogged
• Growth Habit: Upright with a moderately spreading habit and narrow crown
• Landscape Uses: Home orchards, edible landscapes, fruit-producing borders, blueberry gardens, and large containers
• ATTRACTS POLLINATORS: Spring flowers attract bees and other beneficial pollinators

Pearl requires approximately 450 chill hours and produces very large, light-blue berries with excellent firmness, flavor, and a small, dry picking scar. The berries generally ripen from late May into early June in south Mississippi.

Best Pollinator Partners

Pearl should be planted near another Southern Highbush blueberry with similar bloom timing for dependable pollination, improved fruit set, and larger berries.

The best pollinator partners from our blueberry selection are:

• Rebel Blueberry – strongest documented match
• Gupton Blueberry – another excellent companion with very similar bloom timing

Rebel is specifically listed as an effective pollinator for Pearl. Other documented partners include Star, Santa Fe, and Dixieblue.

Gupton is also a strong choice from our inventory because USDA trials found that Gupton and Pearl flowered during the same mid- to late-March period. This makes good bloom overlap likely under similar growing conditions.

Other Southern Highbush varieties may provide some overlapping bloom, but Rebel and Gupton are the most dependable recommendations from the varieties we carry.

Plant the different varieties near one another so bees can move easily between the flowers. Do not depend on a rabbiteye variety such as Premier, Climax, Brightwell, or Powderblue to pollinate Pearl. Southern Highbush varieties should be paired with other Southern Highbush varieties.

North Florida Growing Note

Pearl’s estimated chilling requirement is a good match for the winter chill normally received around DeFuniak Springs and much of the Florida Panhandle. However, Pearl is a Southern Highbush blueberry and will generally require more attention than rabbiteye varieties.

Southern Highbush blueberries flower earlier, making their blooms and young berries more vulnerable to late winter or early spring freezes. They are also less tolerant of poor drainage and require soil with higher organic matter than rabbiteye blueberries.

For the best results:

• Plant Pearl in full sun on slightly elevated ground
• Avoid low areas where cold air or rainwater settles
• Add pine bark or peat moss to increase organic matter
• Maintain acidic soil with a pH of approximately 4.0–5.5
• Use pine bark or pine straw mulch around the root zone
• Provide freeze protection when flowers are open and freezing temperatures are expected

Pearl may also be grown in a large container filled with a well-draining mix formulated for blueberries, azaleas, or other acid-loving plants. Containers can make it easier to control soil acidity and move smaller plants into protection during a late freeze.

Available for local pickup at our nursery in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Shipping is not currently available for this blueberry plant.

Wholesale availability may be offered on select sizes and quantities. Please contact us for current inventory and wholesale information.

Advanced Nursery Growers
1911 McLeod Road
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435
Call: 850-391-2228
Email: info@advancednurserygrowers.com