The Takes the Cake Rabbiteye Blueberry is a newly developed blueberry bush from the Southern Living Plant Collection! This selection produces flavorful berries with a nice firmness and impressive shelf life. Each berry is large and brightly colored, making them as attractive as they are delicious.
The Takes the Cake Rabbiteye Blueberry is of the species Vaccinium ashei ‘Vernon,’ and it has moderate chill requirements. Traditionally, 500-550 hours below 40 degrees to produce fruit.
Spring finds this Rabbiteye Blueberry covered in attractive and petite bell-shaped white flowers that will soon become berries. Furthermore, this is an early season bloomer and it generally blooms about a week and a half after the Climax Blueberry.
This deciduous shrub has a controlled, upright growth habit. So it matures to only 4-5′ H x 3-4′ W. For this reason, it makes a fantastic addition to decorative mixed garden beds as a functional and attractive accent.
Try it as a border plant, container planting, hedge, or mass planting!
Planting more than one variety of Rabbiteye Blueberry bush is crucial for getting large berry harvests. Pair the Takes the Cake Rabbiteye Blueberry with its companion, the Bless Your Heart Rabbiteye Blueberry.
*The Takes the Cake® Rabbiteye Blueberry is a deciduous/semi-evergreen plant and will go dormant during the winter months. When this plant is ordered during the Fall/Winter expect seasonal foliage decline(discoloration, spots, leaf drop) or the plant to arrive completely dormant.*
Hardy from USDA Zones 7-9, down to 0°F.
Requires Full Sun to grow and fruit properly.
Water 2-3 times per week during the growing season to help ensure that it establishes deep roots. Then, water 1-2 times per week during the second growing season. Afterward, provide supplemental water in times of extended drought and heat.
Prefers rich acidic soil with good drainage. The Takes the Cake Rabbiteye Blueberry will not do well in clay soil.
Fertilize with an organic acidic plant fertilizer in spring.
We recommend spacing your Takes the Cake Rabbiteye Blueberry bushes 4-5 feet apart or more to allow easy access for berry picking and sunlight access. However, feel free to plant them 3 feet apart for a seamless blueberry hedge.
Theresa Pruitt (verified owner) –
I am so thrilled about my Takes The Cake Blueberries!!! They were shipped fast and packaged so well. In fact I was very impressed with the packaging and ingenuity of the packing. The bushes were not broken or damaged at all in shipment with their crafty box. The bushes had moist soil and no dirt was out of place.
Good job Plants By Mail…I will be back again!!!
Team PBM –
Some serious time and research went into our self-made and developed packaging. We are very proud of our packaging. Thank you for your kind words. We’re pleased you’re pleased. – Christy
gatekpr70 (verified owner) –
Another reviewer said it better than me but I will reiterate. I just found about about Plants by Mail searching for specific plants for a large landscape project. Their variety options far surpassed other sites I visited and prices are reasonable and reward points have me hooked. My Takes the Cake® Rabbiteye Blueberry – 2.5 Quart arrived well packaged. Too bad UPS treats these fragile packages like garbage. We had to scoop dirt from inside the boxes back into the containers but otherwise the plants were in great shape and with a little water they perked right up within 24 hours. I can’t wait to harvest.
cjta1 (verified owner) –
My Take the Cake blueberry plants are wonderful! They have plenty of new foliage growing and have only been in the ground a week. They look very healthy! I can’t wait until I can harvest some berries! I also purchased Bless Your Heart plants for cross pollination. Thanks for suggestion!
Team PBM –
It is our pleasure! We’re pleased you’re pleased! – Christy
Kristen Selim –
Can’t wait to to eat them
Ann Granack (verified owner) –
I never knew about Plants by Mail until recently and I have to say, I am taking a liking to y’all! The variety of plants and sizes available, competitive pricing, discount point system, fast delivery and healthy plants. What’s not to love!? My Takes the Cake blueberry bush was packaged well and arrived in tact with just a couple small broken branches but otherwise looked great. Soil was still moist and showed very little signs of stress from travel. Thank you!