USDA Blueberry 'Echo'

Case ID:
EXT-13-13
Web Published:
7/19/2024
Description:

Technology Description
Repeat flowering and fruiting in blueberry is unusual in northern temperate climates. ‘Perpetua’ was the first of these sorts to be released and ‘Echo’ is an offspring of ‘Perpetua’. ‘Echo’ has a relatively small crop in spring and a larger crop in late summer. The combination of attractive foliage, fruit, and flowers at a time in the season where there is really nothing like it is appealing. It is an attractive ornamental year round and should be especially suited to summer nursery sales when the plant is particularly attractive.

Features & Benefits

  • Repeat flowering and fruiting
  • Gorgeous combination of flowers, glossy foliage, and green and blue fruit in late summer
  • Year-round ornamental interest
  • Multiple crops of pleasant, flavored blueberries

Applications

  • Ornamental berry market
  • May be useful for markets where fruit that attracts birds is desirable

Background of Invention
‘Echo’ is a repeat flowering and fruiting ornamental blueberry developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in collaboration with the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. ‘Echo’ was selected in Corvallis, Ore. in 2010 from a population grown from a cross of ‘Perpetua’ (U.S. Plant Pat. 24,209) x ORUS 55-1 (selection of CVAC 21.00 [PI 296397]) open pollinated seed). Both parents are repeat flowering. The plant’s characteristics for fruit size, leaf shape, and leaf size are intermediate to those of Vaccinium corymbosum L. (highbush blueberry) and V. angustifolium Aiton (lowbush blueberry). The combination of green and blue fruit, flowers, and glossy foliage is especially stunning in late summer as an ornamental.

Status
Plant Patent PP29,787 issued and available for non-exclusive licensing

Patent Information:
Category(s):
Agricultural
For Information, Contact:
Denis Sather
Senior IP & Licensing Manager
Oregon State University
541-737-8806
denis.d.sather@oregonstate.edu
Inventors:
Chad Finn
Keywords:
Berry
Blueberry
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