'HORTBLUE ONYX' AND 'HORTBLUE PETITE': TWO NEW ORNAMENTAL BLUEBERRIES FROM NEW ZEALAND

Blueberries are becoming increasingly popular for the home garden market in New Zealand, where belief in the health-giving properties of the fruit has led to unprecedented demand. Significant growth in sales of plants to the retail sector has occurred over recent years and this trend is predicted to continue. This is largely because of the current fashion among the gardening public for functional plants that produce fruit as well as having a decorative appearance. The ornamental market, although small in comparison with other markets, is becoming more important and warrants particular consideration for the selection of new cultivars. Two cultivars bred by HortResearch, ‘Hortblue Onyx’ and ‘Hortblue Petite’, have been evaluated and released as ornamentals over the past eight years. Trials have been conducted in New Zealand and Germany. ‘Hortblue Onyx’ is a selection from an open pollinated population from a seedling of Vaccinium simulatum Small while ‘Hortblue Petite’ was selected from open pollinated seedlings of V. corymbosum L. Both cultivars are semi-dwarf in stature with low chill requirements and produce small, dark blue fruit that are high in phytochemical composition.