Vaccinium ashei 'Austin' ~ Austin Rabbiteye Blueberry

Austin Rabbiteye Blueberry is a large upright spreading deciduous shrub that produces large quantities of large sweet blueberries that flower late and ripen early.  The elliptical blue-green foliage turns shades of orange-red in fall. The white flower clusters bloom later than other varieties in mid-spring. Grows best with full sun and rich, moist acidic well-drained soils.  Austin should be planted with others to cross-pollinate and increase yield. 

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Medium Maintenance. Water regularly and mulch.  Prune as needed in late winter. Chlorosis may occur in high PH soils.  Blight, rot, anthracnose, canker, and mildew are occasional problems. Blueberry maggot, fruit worms, and spotted wing drosophila can damage the fruit.  Mummy berry is a fungal disease that shrivels and dries the fruit- remove effected fruit immediately if spotted.
LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Gardens, Rock Gardens, Hedges, Foundation Plantings, Edible Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Azalea, Wax Myrtle, California Lilac