Organic Blueberry Colibri (Ea)

Certified-organic Colibri is an early Southern Highbush blueberry for mild-winter gardens that receive very little chill. The upright, slightly spreading plant produces medium-size, light-blue berries with a sweet, low-acid character when allowed to finish ripening on the bush. Its early crop and manageable mature size make it a useful potted option for growers seeking fresh blueberries before midseason cultivars begin.

• Plant form: One certified-organic potted nursery plant
• Blueberry type: Southern Highbush
• USDA zones: 6–10; provide extra winter protection near the cold limit
• Chill requirement: Approximately 200 hours
• Harvest: Early season, with timing influenced by winter and spring temperatures
• Mature habit: Upright, slightly spreading, and approximately 4.5–5 feet tall
• Fruit: Medium-size, light-blue berries with sweet, mild, low-acid flavor

Colibri is self-fruitful, so a single plant can bear, but another early Southern Highbush blueberry can increase pollen transfer and may improve berry size. Biloxi is a good low-chill companion across Zones 6–10 with a 100–300-hour requirement. Misty offers the same chill range and is another early-flowering choice. Select one whose bloom is observed to overlap in your microclimate.

Transplant into full sun and acidic soil near pH 4.5–5.5, preserving the root-ball level rather than burying the crown. Colibri’s fine roots need oxygen as well as moisture, so blend organic matter into a freely drained bed or use an acidic container mix with unobstructed drainage holes. Mulch the surface, water before the root zone becomes dry, and shelter early flowers from a forecast freeze. If growing in a pot, step up the container as roots fill it and protect the root ball during unusually hard cold. Explore the blueberry collection and review the blueberry growing guide.