Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
The Vaccinium ashei 'Woodard' is a Rabbiteye variety of blueberry known for glossy foliage and an early crop of high-quality berries. Once established, this vigorously growing plant can provide up to 15 pounds of blueberries, meaning you will have enough of a crop to make pies, muffins, and more. Bell-shaped white flowers first appear in the early spring and look striking against the glossy bluish-green foliage. The plant will be covered in medium to large dark blue fruit by late spring or early summer.
This plant is heat-tolerant, allowing it to easily handle the warm temperatures of USDA zones 8 through 10, where it grows as a perennial. Expect this shrub to top out around 6 feet tall, making it a good size plant but still manageable. Plant this bush in a hedge or a row with other types of blueberries to allow for cross-pollination. The leaves will turn a shade of red-orange in the fall before dropping from this deciduous bush in the winter.
Woodard Rabbiteye Blueberry Plant Care
Blueberry plants need full sun and rich, acidic soil. The soil should have a pH of 4.5 to 5.2. This plant has medium water needs, and it will need more water during the growing season when it is bearing fruit. Water when the top couple of inches of soil feels dry. Use mulch around the plant base to help prevent evaporation and keep the roots damp longer. Blueberry bushes do not need to be fed during their first year but apply a slow-release acidic fertilizer starting in the second year.
Trim away shoots and thin out lower branches to prevent fruit from sagging to the ground. Prune the plant to remove dead growth when the plant is dormant. Plant at least 2 different blueberry bushes in the same area to promote cross-pollination.
Woodard Rabbiteye Blueberry Plant Spacing
The Woodard Rabbiteye Blueberry bush grows about 5 to 6 feet tall and just as wide once mature. Space plants 4 to 5 feet apart if you want a lush hedge of foliage, or place the plants about 6 feet apart to allow room to move around the plants.
Woodard Rabbiteye Blueberry Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 9 to 10 (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Full Sun (6+ Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 5-6 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 5-6 Feet
- Growth Rate
- Moderate
- Growth Habit
- , Upright
- Water Needs
- Consistently Moist
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , White
- Flower Description
- White
- Bloom Time
- Early Spring
- Blooms On
-
Old Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Right after flowering
- Foliage Color
- , Blue, Green
- Foliage Description
- Blue, Green, Orange, Red
- Foliage Type
- , Semi-Evergreen, Deciduous
- Seasonal Interest
- , Spring Flowering
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- Woodard Rabbiteye Blueberry Bush
- Botanical Name
- Vaccinum ashei 'Woodard'
- Plant Type
- Edible Plant
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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