Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy' (very late-season)

Legacy Blueberry plant (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Legacy’) is an exceptional highbush blueberry, prized for both its delicious fruit and its striking autumn foliage. The berries are medium to large, firm, and notable for their excellent flavour and small, scar. A smaller scar - where the berry detaches from the stem - reduces moisture loss and decay, contributing to superior fruit quality.

The flavour of Legacy Highbush Blueberry is described as sweet and robust, consistently earning high ratings in trial evaluations. The berries are excellent for fresh eating, as toppings for cereals and yogurt, or for use in baking, syrups, preserves, and freezing. Blueberries are often referred to as “superfoods” due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Legacy highbush blueberry bush is a highly productive variety, yielding abundant crops of premium fruit that ripen in late August - later even than Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Bluecrop’. In May, dainty, bell-shaped pinkish-white flowers appear, attracting bees and butterflies. While Legacy blueberry plant will produce fruit on its own, planting another variety such as Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Duke’ or ‘Patriot’ nearby will significantly increase yields.

This vigorous plant has an upright growth habit and glossy, ovate green leaves that turn brilliant shades of orange and crimson in autumn. ‘Legacy’ is particularly valued for retaining its foliage longer than most blueberry varieties, sometimes well into winter, adding seasonal interest. Legacy highbush blueberry bush typically grows to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall and 1.2 m (4 ft) wide, making it well suited to shrub borders, hedges, informal plantings, and edible gardens. Its combination of flowers, fruit, summer foliage, and fall colour makes it both ornamental and productive.

Legacy northern highbush blueberry prefers full sun to partial shade and performs best in evenly moist, well-drained soil. It does not tolerate standing water and, like all blueberries, requires sandy, acidic soil for optimal growth. In alkaline soils, plants may develop chlorosis (yellowing of the foliage).

Birds are particularly fond of blueberries, so netting may be required as the fruit begins to ripen.

Note: The pale “bloom” on blueberries is a natural powdery, waxy coating that protects the fruit from moisture loss, pests, and sun damage. It also helps berries stay fresh longer after harvest. Do not wash blueberries until just before consumption. The bloom is completely safe to eat if the fruit is unwashed.