blueberry Variety
Gladiator
Very early, zero-chill evergreen blueberry variety
Early to Mid-Season Southern Highbush Blueberry
Breeder: Dr. Scott NeSmith, University of Georgia, USA
Gladiator produces attractive, excellent-flavoured
berries with long shelf life. It is a strong performer in the early to mid-season harvest window, ideal
for growers targeting high-value fresh market sales.
Gladiator Key Features
Flavour
Outstanding flavour, crisp and sweet with a good acid balance
Yield
High 6+ kg/plant in commercial plantations
Fruit Colour
light blue in colour with an exceptional bloom
Fruit Size
Large berries - most sitting average 18-22 mm
Firmness
Firm berries with a good shelf life
Disease Resistance
Strong, with little rust and no Botryosphaeria spp
Comparative Results
Compare key commercial characteristics across our blueberry genetics, including chill type, yield performance, fruit firmness, flavour profile, and market suitability. Use the dropdown below to select a trait and compare performance across our blueberry varieties.
Chill Requirement
Gladiator
0–200 hours
Maverick
0 hours
Sweet Duchess
0-100 hours
Tropical Blue
0 hours
MegasBlue
1000+ hours
Titanium
1000+ hours
Seasonality
Gladiator
Early to mid-season
Maverick
Early Season
Sweet Duchess
Exceptionally Early Season
Tropical Blue
Exceptionally Early Season
MegasBlue
Mid-season
Titanium
Early Mid-season
Yield
Gladiator
6+ kg/plant
Maverick
4.5-4.8 kg/plant
Sweet Duchess
3 kg/plant
Tropical Blue
3.5-5 kg/plant
MegasBlue
8 kg/plant
Titanium
7 kg/plant
Fruit Size
Gladiator
18–22 mm (1.8–2.2 g)
Maverick
16-22mm (1.5–2.2 g)
Sweet Duchess
20-25mm (1.8-2.2 g)
Tropical Blue
16-22mm
MegasBlue
17-19mm
Titanium
17-21mm
Fruit Colour
Gladiator
Light blue with excellent bloom
Maverick
Medium to light with good bloom
Sweet Duchess
Medium to light with good bloom
Tropical Blue
Mid blue attractive berries with a good bloom
MegasBlue
Dark blue
Titanium
Light blue with excellent bloom
Firmness
Maverick
Very firm
Gladiator
Very firm
Sweet Duchess
Exeptionally firm
Tropical Blue
Firm
MegasBlue
Firm
Titanium
Exeptionally firm
Flavour
Gladiator
Crisp, sweet, balanced acidity
Maverick
Crisp and sweet with good acid balance
Sweet Duchess
Sweet, crisp berries with outstanding flavour
Tropical Blue
Great, well-balanced sugar/acid profile
MegasBlue
Very good taste; good sugar/acid balance
Titanium
Excellent flavour, great crunch
Shelf Life
Gladiator
Excellent
Maverick
Excellent
Sweet Duchess
Superb
Tropical Blue
Good
MegasBlue
Good
Titanium
Excellent
Use
Gladiator
Fresh market, including premium listing
Maverick
Fresh market, tropical/zero-chill evergreen production
Sweet Duchess
Fresh market, premium brand berry for very early supply windows
Tropical Blue
Fresh market, zero-chill growing regions (evergreen systems)
MegasBlue
Fresh market and machine harvest, suitable for fresh and processing
Titanium
Premium fresh market, also works well for processing, excellent shipping
Growth Habit
Gladiator
Upright, vigorous
Maverick
Upright, vigorous
Sweet Duchess
Upright, grower-friendly bush with natural branching
Tropical Blue
Semi-upright, moderate vigour
MegasBlue
Upright, strong
Titanium
Extremely upright, relatively compact/semi-compact
Gladiator Enquiry
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