Description
Pink Lemonade is the one people stop and ask about. The flowers open pinkish white, the fruit sets pale green, and it ripens through a blush to a deep, almost translucent pink that holds on the bush. The flavor is sweet and mild, closer to a mild blue blueberry than to anything tart.
It came out of the USDA breeding program at Chatsworth, New Jersey, as a cross between a highbush selection and the rabbiteye ‘Delite’, which is what gives it the pink. The plant has moderate vigor and an erect habit around 4 to 5 ft, and its fall color runs golden yellow to brilliant orange. It ripens late, after the main blue harvest is over.
Overview
- Deep pink berries, sweet and mild, on a tidy upright bush.
- Golden-yellow to orange fall foliage; a real ornamental as well as a crop.
- A USDA rabbiteye-type hybrid, bred for the color.
- Late ripening, extending the picking season.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Vaccinium ‘Pink Lemonade’
Site and Soil: Full sun; acidic, well drained soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings or tissue culture
Bearing Age: Fruits right away; full production in 5 to 6 years
Size at Maturity: Moderate vigor, erect, about 4 to 5 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Late season; August into September
Pollination: Self-fertile; a second rabbiteye-type blueberry improves size and yield
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: The berries sweeten as the pink deepens, so leave them a few days past the first blush rather than picking on color alone.
- Regional Insight: Blueberries crop best where winters are cold enough to meet their chill and the soil is naturally acid, which covers most of the country once the planting hole is prepared properly.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
