Beckyblue Blueberry Plant

Beckyblue Blueberry is an early-season rabbiteye variety developed for Florida’s mild winters. It produces attractive berries with good size, color, firmness, and a small, dry picking scar. The fruit ripens early in the rabbiteye season, helping gardeners begin their blueberry harvest before many mid- and late-season varieties.

Beckyblue is a good choice for home orchards, edible landscapes, and blueberry plantings in North Florida and the Florida Panhandle. It has a relatively low chilling requirement, but its early flowers can be vulnerable to a late winter or early spring freeze. UF/IFAS lists Beckyblue among the early-season rabbiteye varieties grown in North and North-Central Florida.

Plant Details

• Plant Type: Deciduous fruiting shrub
• Botanical Name: Vaccinium virgatum ‘Beckyblue’
• Former Botanical Name: Vaccinium ashei ‘Beckyblue’
• Blueberry Type: Rabbiteye
• Mature Size: Approximately 6–10 feet tall and 5–8 feet wide when maintained through pruning
• Sun: Full sun for the best flowering and fruit production
• USDA Zones: 7–9
• Chill Hours: Approximately 300–400 hours
• Bloom Time: Early spring
• Harvest Time: Early rabbiteye season, generally late May through early June in North Florida
• Fruit: Medium to large berries with good blue color, firm texture, and a dry picking scar
• Pollination: Requires another early-blooming rabbiteye blueberry
• Soil: Acidic, moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter
• Preferred Soil pH: Approximately 4.0–5.5
• Water: Keep evenly moist while establishing and during flowering and fruit development
• Growth Habit: Moderately vigorous, upright shrub
• Landscape Uses: Home orchards, edible landscapes, blueberry hedges, wildlife gardens, and fruit-producing borders
• ATTRACTS POLLINATORS: Spring flowers attract bees and other beneficial pollinators

Beckyblue’s estimated chilling requirement is 300–400 hours. It blooms early and produces firm fruit with good size, color, and a dry picking scar.

Best Pollinator Partners

Beckyblue should be planted near another early-season rabbiteye variety for dependable fruit set.

The best pollinator partners from our blueberry selection are:

• Climax Blueberry – strongest documented match
• Austin Blueberry – another early-season rabbiteye that may provide good bloom overlap

UF/IFAS specifically recommends planting Climax with Beckyblue or Bonita for cross-pollination. Austin is also described as an early-season rabbiteye that should cross-pollinate with other early-season varieties.

Plant the two varieties within approximately 50 feet of each other so bees can travel easily between the flowers. Do not depend on a Southern Highbush blueberry to pollinate Beckyblue; rabbiteyes should be paired with other rabbiteye varieties.

North Florida Growing Note

Beckyblue should receive plenty of winter chilling in North Florida and the Florida Panhandle. However, its low chilling requirement causes it to bloom early, which can expose flowers and young fruit to late freezes.

Planting on slightly elevated ground with good air movement may help reduce frost exposure. Avoid low areas where cold air settles or water remains after heavy rain.

Beckyblue is generally not as productive as mid- and late-season rabbiteye varieties such as Brightwell, Powderblue, or Tifblue. Its main advantage is its early harvest, making it useful for extending the overall blueberry season.

Blueberries have shallow roots and benefit from several inches of pine bark or pine straw mulch. Keep mulch a few inches away from the main stems and avoid placing fertilizer directly in the planting hole.

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