At a Glance
Developed for the home garden market, the plant of Blue Suede™ has nice ornamental appeal with glamorous flowers in the spring and notable fall leaf color. The variety is exclusively licensed to McCorkle Nursery and is marketed under the trade name Blue Suede™ as part of the Gardener’s Confidence® Collection.
Fruit
Blue Suede™ produces an abundance of attractive, light blue fruit. Berries are generally large and flavorful. The new variety ripens early compared to rabbiteye varieties generally available to homeowners in the Southeast through large commercial gardening outlets.
Cultivation
Plants are self-fertile, but improved fruit set and berry size usually are obtained with cross-pollination. Camellia and Palmetto are recommended companion varieties.
Testing
Development
Developed by D. Scott NeSmith of the University of Georgia as variety TH-682, Blue Suede™ is a joint 2008 release by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service. This protected blueberry variety can be sold only by individuals licensed by the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF) and Georgia Seed Development (GSD). USPP 21,222.
Breeder
D. Scott NeSmith
Dr. D. Scott NeSmith’s blueberry research program at the University of Georgia emphasizes new variety development as well as cultural management of blueberries for the southeastern United States.
Since taking over the UGA blueberry breeding program in 1998, Dr. NeSmith has released and patented 10 new commercial blueberry varieties and two ornamental blueberry varieties. His breeding program is now considered one of the most active low- to-mid chill blueberry programs in the world. He joined UGA in 1990.
Dr. NeSmith has expanded UGA’s program globally through collaborative projects throughout the U.S. and many other countries including South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Japan, Europe, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Peru, and Mexico. Much of his cultural management research has been with growth regulators in blueberries. He also conducts experiments on plant establishment, pollination, and post-harvest quality.
Dr. NeSmith is a member of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS) and the International Society for Horticultural Sciences. He is a past President of the Southern Region ASHS and has served as an Associate Editor for the ASHS journal, HortScience.
Dr. NeSmith has received the D.W. Brooks Excellence in Research Award from UGA and in 2011 was selected as a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. He has published more than 250 research papers, including more than 97 in refereed journals, and has received two awards for outstanding publications.
He graduated from the University of Georgia with B.S. and M.S. degrees. He obtained his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
Affiliations
- Department of Horticulture
- University of Georgia, Griffin Campus