Early basket
Berries ripen early and open the harvest before classic mid-season cultivars.
Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Reka’ 13cm
Normal price
€11,90
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Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Reka’
Breakfast? Add a handful and off you go ⏱️
- Early harvest
- Firm blue berries
- Vigorous upright shrub
- Orange-red autumn colour
Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Reka’ starts the season with energy, carrying early blue berries that combine lively flavour, good firmness and an attractive natural bloom. The vigorous upright shrub fills its space quickly, looks generous without sprawling and ends the year in striking orange-red tones. It is an excellent choice when you want to open the blueberry harvest early and add a fruiting shrub with a clean confident presence to an acidic bed or a large terrace container.
The upright lines of ‘Reka’ bring rhythm to a fruit border, while its fine foliage sits beautifully beside the rounder outlines of other acid-loving shrubs. White spring bells, blue summer berries and warm autumn leaves create three different scenes in the same spot. In a large pot beside a terrace seating area, picking the fruit becomes part of the everyday pleasure of spending time among your plants.
What makes it special
‘Reka’ brings early fruit, strong basal renewal and autumn colour together in a clean upright shrub.
Firm fruit
Firm berries with a small dry scar pick cleanly and keep well after harvest.
Vigorous renewal
Strong new basal stems rise readily and keep the shrub productive after correct thinning.
Why you will love it: It gives you one of the first generous bowls of the year and a handsome vigorous shrub that responds quickly to good care.
In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsA sunny acidic bed or large container with an open crown and cool roots.
Ideal position
Give full sun in a cool climate or morning sun with afternoon shade in a very hot region. Leave space for vigorous upright growth.
Compatible combinations
Acid-loving evergreen shrubs, low cranberry and a fine fern create a productive woodland corner.
- Pieris japonica — Spring blossom and evergreen structure sit behind the deciduous shrub.
- Vaccinium macrocarpon — Low trailing shoots cover the acidic foreground without crowding the crown.
- Blechnum spicant — An upright woodland fern adds fine texture in cool bright shade.
Care at a glance
Light
Sun or bright partial shade; more light gives firmer growth and deeper autumn colour.
Water
Even moisture with low-mineral water, without waterlogging.
Climate & hardiness
Very good winter hardiness; protect container roots from prolonged deep freezing.
Safety
Wash fully ripe fruit before eating.
Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, watering, support, feeding and cultivar-specific prevention.
Acid soil
Plant only in ericaceous compost at about pH 4.5–5.5. In lime-rich ground, use a large container so roots remain in the correct conditions.
Watering
Water as the surface begins to dry, preferably with rainwater or another low-mineral source. Never allow the root ball to dry completely.
Shape & airflow
Retain 7–9 upright stems of mixed ages and remove low tips touching the ground.
Feeding
In spring use an ericaceous feed according to its label. Small regular doses are safer than one heavy application.
Summer care
Keep roots cool with pine bark and protect the container from fierce reflected heat. Foliage needs light, while roots must not overheat.
Prevent problems
Monitor acidic pH, thin the especially vigorous crown and maintain gaps so leaves dry quickly.
From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.
Pollination
‘Reka’ can set fruit on its own, but a second highbush blueberry cultivar, such as ‘Duke’ or ‘Earliblue’, may improve fruit set and berry size. Plant them nearby and make sure their flowering periods overlap in your local conditions, allowing bees to carry pollen between the bushes. When choosing a pollination partner, matching the flowering period matters more than simply choosing varieties that ripen at the same time.
When it ripens
It ripens early, often from late June into mid-July, depending on climate.
How to harvest
Pick when the berry is blue to the stalk and falls into the palm with a light touch. Return every few days.
Fruit protection
Install netting before the first flush turns blue and keep it away from the upright crown on a firm frame.
After planting: water deeply, spread pine bark and allow strong upright stems to establish.
Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantLate winter, before early growth begins
When to prune
Prune towards the end of winter, while the shrub is still dormant and before the buds open. Inspect the branches first: plumper flower buds can be distinguished from the smaller, more pointed growth buds, helping you decide which wood to retain for the next crop. Choose a frost-free day and follow the actual development of the plant, as growth can begin earlier in a mild, sheltered position.
During the first two years, pruning mainly involves minor corrections to weak, broken or crossing shoots. Later, vigorous ‘Reka’ benefits from selective thinning and gradual renewal of older canes. Aim for a shrub with stems of different ages and a well-lit centre, retaining enough healthy wood carrying flower buds.
01
Build
A gentle start
Action: Remove the broken or very weak shoot low down, close to its point of origin.
Retain: Retain the healthy framework of the young plant without shortening every shoot tip.
02
Train
Light through the centre
Action: Remove the branch that crosses or rubs against another and any growth touching the ground.
Retain: Retain well-spaced canes of different ages and healthy side shoots carrying flower buds.
03
Renew
Gradual renewal
Action: On a mature shrub, remove up to one quarter of the oldest, thickest canes at the base in one year.
Retain: Leave strong younger basal shoots as replacements and enough productive wood for the season.
New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point
Clean tools
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
Clean crown
Remove prunings and leave a clear ring around the crown.
Do not do this: Do not retain every new stem simply because it looks strong; excessive density shades fruit and makes picking difficult.
Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.
Vigorous crown
Many upright new stems quickly build the framework.
Early fruiting
Flowers on short laterals turn early into firm blue berries.
Autumn change
The upright green crown turns vivid orange and red before leaf fall.
Mature habit & dimensions
Mature form in 4–5 years
Height 1.5–2mSpread 1–1.3mVigorous upright shrub
Mature summer form: several basal canes, branching side shoots and small clusters of berries beneath the foliage.
Form through the seasons
Early blossom · fruit late June–July
New ZealandPatent PP6700Earliblue × Bluecrop
SpringWhite, hanging flowers in small clusters and young leaves along the side shoots.
AutumnOrange and red leaves gradually fall, revealing the woody framework.
After harvest, the foliage changes; in winter this deciduous shrub retains bare branches and buds for the following season.
What to expect after planting: Many upright new stems quickly build the framework.
History & originCultivar originSeed from a 1969 American cross, selected in New Zealand and patented in 1989.
The story of ‘Reka’ began in 1969, when USDA sent seed from controlled blueberry crosses to New Zealand. P. Bates of Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre and American breeder Arlen Draper organised the collaboration to develop cultivars suited to New Zealand conditions.
More than a thousand seedlings were evaluated at Ruakura. From an ‘Earliblue’ × ‘Bluecrop’ family, Franklin H. Wood selected a vigorous upright bush that ripened early, cropped heavily and carried firm berries with a small dry scar. It entered wider trials in 1982.
The selection was patented in the United States as PP6700 in 1989 and named ‘Reka’, a Māori word meaning ‘sweet’. It became one of the notable successes of the first New Zealand blueberry generation and then travelled back into gardens around the world.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour
Blue made by light
The soft blue appearance of a berry comes from the microscopic structure of the wax covering its skin. Its crystals scatter light, creating the characteristic blue reflection above the dark pigments beneath. Gently rubbing the surface disturbs this coating and makes that patch look darker. This is structural colour: the arrangement of the surface contributes to the shade you see, alongside the pigments within the fruit.
A small scar with a significant role
When the stalk separates, it leaves a scar where it was attached to the berry through which water can escape after harvest. ‘Reka’ has a characteristically small, dry scar, a feature recorded in the original description of the cultivar. Moisture loss affects berry firmness, but also depends on skin permeability, the wax coating and storage conditions. The behaviour of the fruit therefore reflects the combined effects of its anatomy and its surroundings.
Frequently asked questions
Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this exact cultivar.
01Does it need another plant?
‘Reka’ can set fruit on its own, but a second highbush blueberry cultivar, such as ‘Duke’ or ‘Earliblue’, may improve fruit set and berry size. Plant them nearby and make sure their flowering periods overlap in your local conditions, allowing bees to carry pollen between the bushes. When choosing a pollination partner, matching the flowering period matters more than simply choosing varieties that ripen at the same time.
02How large does it become?
1.5–2m high and approximately 1–1.3m wide, with the habit described above.
03Is it suitable for a container?
Yes, in a container of at least 50–60 litres with ericaceous compost and room for its vigorous crown.
04When is the fruit picked?
Usually late June to mid-July, once berries are blue to the stalk and release easily.
05Why does it make so many new stems?
Vigorous renewal is characteristic. Retain the best positioned stems and thin the rest in winter.
06When should it be pruned?
In late winter, opening the centre and gradually removing the oldest thick stems.
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