O’Neal

Origin: North Carolina Research Service – USDA/ARS

1. High-bush type cultivar for the Southeast.
2. Standard height-6 feet and spreading but seems to be well proportioned.
3. Early ripening high-bush cultivar.
4. Yield is not yet known in all areas, but it should do well within its recommended zones.
5. Fruit size is very large and attractive.
6. Fruit has excellent firmness and little to no picking scar; berry quality will not deteriorate under high temperatures.
7. Harvesting is done by hand but the bush may lend itself to mechanical harvesting.
8. Marketing of the fruit is done by fresh sales because of early ripening.
9. Ornamental use is good because it will produce fruit in the South without a pollinator.
10. The plant seems to do well in lighter soils where other cultivars will not grow well. O’Neal is the best of four southern high-bush cultivars and are well adapted to the growing conditions in the Southeastern United States. Hardiness Zones 9a-7b.