Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum x Vaccinium darrowii) ALIX BLUE™

Blueberry 'Alix Blue™' (Southern Highbush)

A very early, modern American variety featuring large, firm, and exceptionally sweet berries, ideal for warmer growing regions.

'Alix Blue™' is a very early, modern Southern Highbush blueberry variety bred specifically for areas with warm climates and mild winters. It originates from the USA, where it was bred for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The breeder is Arlen Draper, and it was released to the market in 2012. It was created by crossing the 'Bluecrisp' and 'Magnolia' varieties. It retained the best traits from both parents – firmness, fruit size, and excellent flavor. It stands out for its extremely early ripening, high productivity, and premium fruit quality. It is an ideal choice for growers in southern and Mediterranean regions who want to capture the first, most lucrative market windows.

Key advantages of the variety:

• Extremely early ripening: Allows for harvesting before the 'Star' variety. In warm climatic conditions (e.g., in Southern Europe), harvesting begins as early as late April and early May. Approximately 50% of the crop usually ripens a few days earlier than the well-known early variety 'Star'.
• High and regular yield: Outperforms the 'Star' variety. In every year of evaluation during breeding tests, 'Alix Blue™' demonstrated higher yields than the 'Star' variety.
• Strong and rapid growth: The bush is strong and vigorous, grows quickly, and has an upright habit.
• Low chill requirement: As a representative of the Southern Highbush group, it has a low chill requirement. The breeder estimates the chill requirement at approximately 400 hours (temperatures below 7 °C) during the dormancy period to ensure a proper crop in the following season. In initial tests in regions without a true cold winter, the variety showed good fruit set.

Fruit and Harvest

• Appearance: The fruits are medium to large and visually attractive. They have a nice, regular spherical shape and a beautiful, attractive blue color.
• Flavor and flesh: The flesh has a very firm texture. The flavor is of excellent quality; the fruits are very sweet and tasty.
• Harvest period: Very early variety.

Cultivation and Resistance

• Hardiness: Low. The variety is explicitly adapted to warm climates and very mild winters (suitable for the entire southern and Mediterranean region). It is not suitable for areas with very cold winters.
• Disadvantages and notes: Due to its very early blooming (blooms early in the spring), it is sensitive to damage from late spring frosts. It is a licensed variety (may be more difficult for regular home gardeners to obtain).
• Note for our conditions: The variety is being successfully tested in Poland and should be suitable for our southern and central growing areas.