This may be useless to you, but it was neither a strong grower or a profuse bloomer here on the SoCal coast.
Moreover, the stamens dried up pretty quickly.
In fact, it was about as good as Angel Face, it's grandma,
Which is about what I would expect of a descendant of Grey Pearl.

Jeri

This is such a coincidence, I was just visiting my local nursery and asked if they had any roses left from thier sale and sure enough right in the front row and the first rose that I looked at the tag on was Blueberry Hill. I wanted to take it because it had such lovely lavender buds but it did have blackspot pretty bad, that was the only reason I did not take it. But I have been thinking about it ever since I got home, ....30% off, oh where would I put it??!! I have really no room, I'm loaded down with roses now.....but those lavender buds I can't get out of my head!

I probly will go get it tomorrow, I am so weak.
All roses in NJ have BS now....unless you spray faithfully.

BLUEBERRY HILL is also notorious for being infected with RMV. I wouldn't even bother if I didn't already know where I can get a clean clone. I would be very careful about buying it grafted from local nurseries.

Mine all declined from RMV.
And I bought mine because a border of them looked so good at the ARS garden in Shreveport.
But several years later, down there, they had been replaced. By that time mine were gone from bad canker problems in early spring and RMV issues. Probably related.

I live in coastal Oregon & Blueberry is superb for me. I have one about 3 years old that's pretty as a picture & full of bloom. I sometimes have to spray once or twice during the rainy spring, but otherwise it's one of my favorites!

There is one at the Pt Defiance Park Rose Garden, in Tacoma, WA that I have lusted after for years! THe first time I saw it , it was about 6' wide and I could not think of a place to put one that big. This year it looks smaller but still blooming beautifully. I know nothing about the care they get there...sometimes the whole garden looks pretty bad and other times it is beautiful. I do not think this is a replacement though...I visit several times each summer and have not seen it down to the size of a new one.

I bought my Blueberry Hill this year online from a Nursery that sell only own root roses and so far I am in love with this rose! It is still small, but is growing fast and has yet to get any blackspot and has bloomed a few times. I really love it so far, and I am convinced own root roses are the way to go. They are much healthier that way.

I was thinking about getting it at Pickering. Is it possible for it to have RMV if I get it from them? I really, really wanted it. Judy

Mine is a three year old own-root from Amity. I live in fear that it will start showing the dread RMV markings but so far so good.

In my no-spray garden it's a favorite--does fine and I love the blooms.

Colleen

Is it possible for it to have RMV if I get it from them? I really, really wanted it. Judy

*** Unless Pickering can tell you that their stock has been VIRUS INDEXED,
and is free of RMV, it is not only POSSIBLE, it is PROBABLE.

What they do is, they get one seedling of a variety.
If they decide it looks promising, they bud up a number of plants.
Then, if it STILL looks good, they bud up more, and more, until after a decade
of watching, they have enough, and they decide to release it.

The virus goes in when the plant is budded onto virused rootstock.

So, every subsequent plant is virused.
Unless, of course, they have had it "cleaned."

And I wouldn't bet on it.

Jeri

I got mine form Chamblee's own-root several yrs ago, and it's planted in a pretty shady spot. Seems to like it tho. It's done really well, blooms quite frequently and only seems to get a bit of mildew in early spring. I don't spray.

My Weeks budded Blueberry Hill has RMV, but my own root plant has shown no signs yet and is a superior rose in both habit and rebloom. Yes, it is a smaller plant still, but not as rigid and angular. It must be deadheaded to encourage rebloom. It doesn't rebloom as fast as Outta the Blue, which is a phenom here in flower production. However, I can even smell the foetida in a freshly opened bloom of OoTB, so I'd expect OoTB to be blackspot susceptible.

My tree rose of Blueberry Hill has RMV. But it is the most vigorous of all 10 tree roses in my garden. The spring bloom is especially spectacular. It can get a little rangy toward the end of the year. But the color is sooo clear and nice.

I have Blueberry Hill also. Mine does get some blackspot, but it manages because I do spray regularly. I think it is quite pretty when it flowers. I also like Simply Marvelous. It is healthier and also has a nice color. It also blooms more. I have not seen RMV on my Blueberry Hill yet, but that can be present for several years before it shows up like it did on my Pink Parfait.

I haven't seen any RMV on mine, but then again RMV shows up mostly on leaves and since I stopped spraying this is one of my only roses with no leaves. I am pleasantly surprised with the disease resistance on my other roses, but this one and a few others are not at all acceptable.
Also I've noticed lots of dieback on this rose. Not winter dieback, which is something I notice on lots of HTs and Fls, but this is year round dieback. I pruned all of the dead stuff off of all of my roses a few weeks ago and this one has already lost more canes.
It's a beautiful rose, but my garden is too carefree for this one.