Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) DRAPER

Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) 'Draper' (PBR)

Mid-early variety setting a new standard for fruit firmness and shelf life.

'Draper' (patented variety) is a modern American blueberry that surpasses older standards like 'Bluecrop' or 'Duke' in many respects. It was bred in Michigan with a clear goal – to combine the earliness of 'Duke' with extreme firmness and quality. The result is fruit that is not only excellent in taste but, above all, exceptionally firm, crisp, and durable, making it a top choice for the fresh fruit market.

Key Highlights:

• Extreme firmness: Crisp fruits highly resistant to damage.
• Excellent shelf life: Long storage life and suitability for transport.
• Uniform ripening: Makes harvesting easier and more efficient.
• Top quality: Large, tasty fruits with a small dry stem scar.
• High frost hardiness and resistance to fruit diseases.

Origin and Registration

• Origin: USA (Michigan State University). Breeder James F. Hancock. Patented in 2004.
• Genetics: Cross of 'Duke' x selection 'G751'.

Variety Characteristics

Bush

• Growth: Vigorous and upright. Reaches a height of approx. 1.5 m and a width of 1.0 m.
• Shoots: Fruits are well exposed on the bush, simplifying harvesting.
• Foliage: In autumn, leaves turn a striking deep red-purple color.

Fruit

• Size and Shape: Medium to large, unusually uniform spherical berries (avg. 1.6 g).
• Color: Powder blue with a distinct waxy bloom.
• Quality: The flesh is exceptionally firm (significantly more so than 'Bluecrop'). The stem scar is small and dry.
• Flavor: Excellent, delicious, rated better than standard varieties.
• Usage: Ideal for the fresh market, but also for processing.

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost: Excellent frost hardiness (down to -20 °C), resistant to temperature fluctuations in spring and autumn.
• Diseases: Fruits show better resistance to rot (anthracnose, alternaria) than 'Bluecrop'.

Cultivation Recommendations

• Pollination: It is partially self-fertile, but for maximum yield and quality, it requires pollination by another blueberry variety.
• Harvesting: Due to fruit firmness, it is also suitable for mechanical harvesting.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Mid-early. Ripens approx. 5 days before 'Bluecrop' (filling the gap after 'Duke').
• Pattern: Ripens very uniformly, allowing for fewer harvest passes.