Varieties of Blueberry Bushes

Blueberry Plants, How to Grow

Blueberry Varieties Abound

Blueberries taste good, and they are good for you. There is a wide variety of blueberries for home gardeners to choose from and grow.

Did You Know? Most varieties require at least two different varieties planted together, for proper pollination to produce berries.

Some of the most popular varieties of blueberries are described below………

Popular Varieties of Blueberries

Arlen Blueberry – This variety is a good choice for the warmer, southern areas of the U.S. Berries are medium to large, light blue, and attractive. Arlen blueberries are good fresh with fine flavor, firmness, and appearance. Height: 5′ – 6′.

Aurora – Late ripening berries extend the harvest. Produces, large grape-like clusters of fresh, sweetly flavored berries from mid-August to September. Self-pollinating but will produce more berries if a different variety is nearby for cross-pollination. Height: 5′ – 6′.

Berkeley Blueberry –  The most popular home garden variety of blueberry. Grows well in mild climates. The fruit is great eaten fresh with fine flavor, firmness, and appearance. It also exhibits a long shelf life for storage. Late midseason, medium to large size berries, are a light, powder blue. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Blue Crop – Deliciously sweet when eaten fresh or when the flavor is captured in pie or preserves. For better pollination, plant at least two varieties. Medium size, mid-season. Height: 5′.

Blue jay  – Medium to tall, hardy shrub. Heavy, tasty fruit set ripens in summer. Height: 5′ – 6′.

Blueray –  This bush is a heavy producer of high-quality large, deep blue berries,  up to 1/2″ in diameter. Berries ripen in early August, with outstanding dessert flavor. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 5′ – 6′.

Brunswick Blueberry  – Sky blue berries are small, firm, and flavorful. Low bush variety makes a dense ground cover if planted in groups. Native to Nova Scotia and grows vigorously in zones 3 – 6. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 1′ – 2′.

Coville – Deliciously sweet when eaten fresh or when the flavor is captured in pie or preserves. For better pollination, plant at least two varieties. Large berries, late season.

Darrow Blueberry – Large, dark blue fruit with excellent flavor is great for eating fresh. Prolific bloomer produces a huge mid to late-season crop, beginning in late July. The small plant takes up little space. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Draper – Early midseason variety. Produces large, firm, powder blue, berries with excellent flavor. Thicker skin gives the fruit a crisp texture, with resistance to splitting and longer shelf life. Height: 4′ – 8′.

Duke Blueberry – This plant blooms late, but ripens in early July. It is a heavy, consistent producer. Berries are mildly tart, medium to large in size, very firm, and retains a fresh quality longer than most other varieties. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Earliblue – Deliciously sweet eaten fresh, or when the flavor is captured in pie or preserves. To improve pollination, plant at least two varieties. Firm, large berries with resistance to cracking. Early season. Height: 6′ – 8′.

Elliott  – Native American perennial shrub. Large, firm fruit, with delicious flavor, ripens in July. Two varieties of kinds of blueberry plants needed for cross-pollination. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Jersey Blueberry – Dark blue, small to medium size fruit that has a very sweet flavor. Very productive plant, ripening in August. Berries are excellent for baking. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Legacy – This variety is a good choice for the warmer, southern areas of the U.S. High yielding Legacy blueberry plants are a heavy producer of medium-sized fruit with superior flavor and sweetness. The fruit ripens in August. Height: 5′ – 6′.

Liberty – Very late ripening blueberry. Berries are large with a powder-blue color. Delicious fruit has tasty flesh. Makes delicious jams, jellies, and desserts. Height: 5′ – 6′.

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More Varieties of Blueberries

Northblue – Large, dark blue fruit, excellent blueberry flavor Great for eating fresh. This prolific bloomer produces a huge midseason crop of blueberries, beginning in July. A low-growing plant takes up little space. It is completely self-fruitful. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height 18″ – 24″.

Northcountry Blueberry Produces an abundant crop of small to medium, sky blue berries. The plant is a low, spreading shrub. It has a sweet, wild blueberry flavor. The dwarf size makes it a nice ornamental plant. Height: 3′ – 4′.

Northlund – The Northland Blueberry has small dark blue fruit with an excellent, wild berry flavor. Dainty, waxy, bell-shaped, white flowers bloom in spring. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Small size berries mature in summer. Height 20″ – 40″.

Northsky Blueberry – This variety is the most cold-hardy of all the blueberries, and is most productive with winter snow cover. Small, sky blueberries are firm with a wild blueberry flavor. Northsky needs another blueberry variety for pollination. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Patriot – This variety has good cold hardiness and is a consistent top producer, 10-20 pounds per plant. Gigantic, tart, dusky berries with true blueberry flavor, ripen in late July. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Pink Lemonade – Yes, pink blueberries! Pink-white flowers grow during spring, fruit appears pale green in early summer progressing to deep pink in mid-late summer. Firm berries with a mild, pleasant flavor. Height: 4′ – 5′.

Reka Blueberry – Dark blue, medium to large-sized fruit has excellent blueberry flavor. It is great for eating fresh. Reka is a prolific bloomer, producing a huge, early-season crop. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 4′ – 6′.

Sunshine Blue – Dwarf plant is by far one of the easiest and most trouble-free. Grow Sunshine Blue in a container on your patio or deck. Delicious berries mature from late July to August. Self-pollinating but will produce more berries if a different variety is nearby for cross-pollination. Height: 3′ – 4′.

Tophat(dwarf patio) – A true dwarf blueberry bush only grows tart taste of a wild berry. The plant will produce white flowers in the mid-spring, followed by a tasty crop of blueberries in the middle of the summer. The leaves will change from bluish-green to fiery red-orange in the fall. Height 18″ – 24″.

Toro Blueberry – Large, dark blue fruit is great for eating fresh. It has an excellent blueberry flavor. This prolific bloomer produces a mid-season crop, starting in late July. Self-pollinating blooms, but cross-pollination produces the best fruit crop. Height: 4′ – 5′.

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Blueberry Bush Fruit

Birds and Blueberries

Forget the story of the birds and the bees. We’re talking about the “birds and the blueberries”. Birds absolutely love blueberries. Home gardeners and commercial growers quickly find this out. And, those birds can be so smart! I realized this one day, as I walked amidst the blueberry field of a farmer friend of mine. He had bought an expensive sound system, which alternately played a variety of predator bird sounds and calls. I watched as a small flock of birds munched on plump blueberries, on bushes right next to a speaker.

If you are going to grow blueberries, you need a plan of attack to keep the birds away. One approach is to simply share your fruit with them. As a fellow bird lover, this may not sound too bad. But, you will need several blueberry bushes, to keep your family and the birds satisfied.

We recommend you make those birds feel blue. Take the fruit of your labor away from them. The most effective means of control, short of a shotgun, is bird netting placed over the bushes. It is relatively inexpensive and will last for a few years.

Bird Netting and Frames – Learn about bird netting and easy to make frames.

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