The Jewel Southern Highbush Blueberry is a popular, high-yielding cultivar know for producing exceptionally large, firm, and sweet-tart berries. Ideal for mild-winter regions (low-chill, 200–300 hours), it grows 5–7 feet tall and is partially evergreen. It is excellent for fresh eating, often harvested from June to July. Key Characteristics & Growing Tips: Fruit: Large, firm, light… Continue reading Jewel Blueberry
Author: patch405
creating my own little patch of happiness in OKC
Emerald Blueberry
The Emerald blueberry is a highly productive Southern Highbush variety (released in 1999) known for producing large, firm, and sweet berries early in the season. It is ideal for warm climates (USDA Zones 7-10), requiring low chilling (100–400 hours) and thriving in full sun with acidic, well-drained soil. Key Characteristics & Growing Tips: Fruit: Large, light… Continue reading Emerald Blueberry
Biloxi Blueberry
The Biloxi blueberry is a highly productive, low-chill Southern Highbush variety, ideal for warm climates (USDA Zones 6–10) with only 150 hours required. Growing 5-6 feet tall, these shrubs offer medium-sized, firm, powder-blue berries in early summer. They thrive in full sun with acidic, well-drained soil. Key Characteristics and Care: Low Chill: Thrives in areas… Continue reading Biloxi Blueberry
Dwarf Afghan Cherry
The dwarf Afghan cherry (also called Prunus avium ‘Dwarf Afghan’ or similar dwarf sweet cherry varieties) is edible—its fruits are small but tasty, usually sweet-tart. Planting it properly will help it thrive and produce fruit. Here's a step-by-step guide for Montgomery, Texas (USDA Zone 8b/9a): 1. Choose the Right Location Sunlight: Full sun, at least… Continue reading Dwarf Afghan Cherry
Navaho Blackberry
The Navaho blackberry is a popular, thornless, and upright-growing cultivar developed by the University of Arkansas. Known for its high yield of sweet, firm berries, it is hardy in USDA Zones 6-9, self-pollinating, and matures at 4-6 feet tall. It requires full sun, roughly 800 chill hours, and is highly regarded for home gardening. Key… Continue reading Navaho Blackberry
Ouachita Blackberry
The Ouachita (pronounced "wash-uh-taw") blackberry is a high-yielding, thornless, and upright cultivar released by the University of Arkansas. Renowned for its large, sweet, and firm berries, it is ideal for fresh eating, baking, and shipping. These hardy shrubs excel in USDA Zones 6–9, requiring roughly 300-400 chill hours, and are noted for high resistance to… Continue reading Ouachita Blackberry
Fairhope Select
(Formerly 'Lipton Plantation') This selection from Donnie Barrett of Fairhope Tea Plantation has small, medium green leaves with pronounced serration. Vigorous growth produces lots of shoots for harvest! Prolific flowers and seed set, and quite cold hardy. Lipton Tea Company started a tea research project at Fairhope but after 4 years the plants were bulldozed… Continue reading Fairhope Select
Super Sochi
Selected from some very special plants in our Tea Gardens, this cultivar displays significantly larger leaves and more vigorous growth than the original 'Sochi' plants while displaying the same color and similar cold hardiness. This clone can have leaves up to 8 inches long when growing very vigorously. The original plant probably has 25 stems… Continue reading Super Sochi
Gangwon-do
This new, exceptionally vigorous cultivar was selected from a batch of seeds collected in the Gangwon-do province of South Korea near the DMZ. Without question - this has become one of our absolute favorite tea plants! These come from a tea plantation where they grow under trees to provide some protection from cold as this… Continue reading Gangwon-do
Yabukita Sencha
The Yabukita cultivar is mainly responsible for producing Sencha, which is the most-grown green tea in Japan. When cultivating Sencha, it can only be harvested for a short time around spring, and shortly after, picking leaves are sent to processing. If leaves are harvested late, the tea quality will be lost. Leaves are steamed to… Continue reading Yabukita Sencha
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