Late blueberry for Zone 8b PNW

I have enlarged my “blueberry house” so I have room for a couple more plants. I have plenty of early and midseason plants. Looking for late/very late varieties. Right now my last picking come from Rubel and Berkley.
Looking for flavor over yield.
any recommendations?
Thank you, mary

Post the varieties you already have to get some answers that are not repeats.

good idea…I have
Reka
Hannah’s choice
blue gold
earliblue
Draper
duke
chandler
berkley
rubel
Tried aurora which is late… but didn’t do well or taste good… they are in the front yard for the birds
Oneil
bluecrop
patriot
chippawa
Misty
polaris

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in eugene: my elliott held onto berries well into september, I think they were ripe sept 1 but they stayed good on the bush another couple weeks. I remember it tasting ok but I’m not a blueberry connoisseur, they all taste similar to me. seemed pretty commonly available at retail nurseries this year

this osu pub is excellent if you haven’t seen it, it includes a harvest calendar:

You have a range of northern and southern highbush varieties which includes just about the latest varieties currently available. Rabbiteye choices include Powder Blue and Tifblue. At best, they extend your season 2 weeks.

thank you, zor - Elliott does sound like it might be a good addition.

Thank you Fusion… I was considering those 2 rabbiteyes and also ochlockonee. Do you have any of these growing? what do you think of their taste?

I am also wondering about Jersey and Liberty. Any opinions on flavor? I like sweet

Looks like you about have the bases covered already!

Aurora seems somewhat variable, mine this year were better than previously… I do know it’s not the sweetest, lol.

Elliott would be sweeter, smaller berries. But, it didn’t impress me in Kentucky, but might do well in the Northwest.

Some of the new ‘garden center’ varieties that are supposedly “everbearing” might be able to extend your season…but I have not tried them. “Bushel & Berry” and “Proven Winners” and “Monrovia” might be places you could look up what I’d call novelty varieties.

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I’ve had Tifblue for about 35 years. IMO, flavor is unremarkable and sweetness is at the low end. Brightwell is one of the better flavored rabbiteye varieties but it is not late bearing. All else considered, I think Powder Blue would be worth a try.

I’m here in Vancouver as well for late I like Elliot for flavor. Aurora is ok and is my last one to ripen with Elliot just ahead of it. Then chandler which is another ok flavor wise.

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Blueberry - thanks for the tips of looking for some newer varieties! good idea! Might be fun. I obviously have lots of berries every year so could just have a little fun and try something new!

Fusion - Thank for the Triflue info. I am considering Ochlockonee… and powderblue would pollanize it.

Fullplate - Hello Neighbor! Aurora just didn’t work for me. there seemed to be such a short period of time between ripe enough to be kinda sweet… and over ripe. The aurora plants got moved to the “bird feeding” blueberries in the front yard. Elliott seems to be my best option if I don’t want to try a couple of rabbiteyes or some newly released variety. I do have room for 4 plants so might get elliott and ??
I have chandler. My grandkids call them “eyeball” berries because they get so big. I have a cute pic of two of my grandkids and a friend holding up chandler berries in front of their eyes…lol… if I figure out how to load up pic to this site someday, I might post it.

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Since I am also shopping for blueberries (admittedly in a different climate) this thread has been helpful to me. I guess if I replace my cherry bush with blueberries, it will be reka and elliott.

Glenda… what is a cherry bush?

I have a Carmine Jewel dwarf cherry tree.

https://research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/Fruit%20crops/sour-cherries.php

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I have about a half dozen Rabbiteyes and most are bland tasting.Columbus is a little better,with Yadkin,the sweetest,but lost that plant,when the watering system failed.Might get one again.Been wanting to try Brightwell,just need to find a roundtoit.
Most of them might be late ripening,here in the PNW.
Another interesting one that probably has Vaccinium ashei in it,is Trentberry from Edible Landscaping,kind of tangy sweet.

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Brady… I am not familiar with rabbiteyes…bland doesn’t sound too good to me. Even automatic water systems can be problematic!! valves that malfunction, connections that burst. etc etc. Sorry to hear you lost that plant. I lost a blueberry plant some years ago by drowning the poor thing! I have BAD clay so I have to be very careful of over watering. Just curious … why so many rabbiteyes if they tend to be bland? extending the season?

Glenda… did not even know there was such a thing as cherry bush! I have 3 full size sweet cherry trees that I planted 30 yrs ago… they just feed the birds. I didn’t realize how big they got and that unless you put netting up or something, there is no chance for any fruit. I just can’t reach 25-30 ft!! Sounds like the bush type are pie cherries. I did see that they now have dwarf rootstock for sweet cherries. Might think about making firewood out of my current trees and replacing with something a little more manageable.
Blueberries… I think I am settling in on two late ones… Elliott and a newer one (Ithink) noctourne. Noctourne is supposed to be a little later than Elliott. I have seen and heard lots of good things about Elliott over the years. Burnt Ridge nursery has both so does one green world but I prefer brunt ridge over one green world (long story). …and… it is a pleasant drive to burnt ridge to pick up the plants.

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Maybe because,before Southern Highbush were developed,they were about the only kind of Blueberry that thrived in the southeastern US.

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Brady… Good reason! :smiley:

I always feel like commercial blueberries get better as the source moves north out of Florida into NJ, etc. I suspect this is why.

I always like the little wild ones from Maine during their short season, too.

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I have Rubel. It supposedly was found growing wild in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. For cooking, it is the best one I have. It is sold for zones 4-7 but I am 8b and it does pretty good for me.
I’ve thought it might be fun to try and grown the real Maine will blueberry. Hartmann’s does sell them. My zone might be too warm for them. Had some on a vacation in Maine a few years back. I agree, they are good!