Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Wet Wet Mesic Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Very strongly acid (4.5 – 5.0) Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5) Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0) Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 9b
Plant Height:	6 to 12 feet
Plant Spread:	6 to 12 feet
Leaves:	Good fall color Deciduous
Fruit:	Showy Edible to birds
Fruiting Time:	Summer
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	White
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer
Suitable Locations:	Bog gardening
Uses:	Suitable for forage
Edible Parts:	Fruit
Eating Methods:	Raw Cooked
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Birds
Resistances:	Flood Resistant
Propagation: Seeds:	Self fertile
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem
Pollinators:	Bees
Miscellaneous:	Monoecious

Common names

Highbush Blueberry
High-Bush Blueberry
American Blueberry
Tall Blueberry

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: January 30, 2023
High bush blueberry #109; RAB p. 816, 145-19-8; LHB p. 773, 157-2

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake
Date: March 25, 2022
High bush blueberry #109; RAB p. 816, 145-19-8; LHB p. 773, 157-2

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake
Date: March 22, 2022
High bush blueberry #109; RAB p. 816, 145-19-8; LHB p. 773, 157-2

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Newland, NC
Date: 2020-07-18
These wild blueberries were very tasty! Not super sweet, but a s

Uploaded by WhistlingWisteria

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2014-07-04
Gift from a friend's bush

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2009-10-18
Fall color

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: Botanical Garden of the Technical University Delft
Date: 2019-04-15

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Newland, NC
Date: 2020-07-18
I found this wild blueberry bush growing over the lake!

Uploaded by WhistlingWisteria

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by Kanna

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: My garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2015-05-07

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Date: 2011-10-30
wild group of shrubs in fall color

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by gngrbluiz

Location: My garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2015-04-19

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: Long Island, NY
Date: 2013-09-23
berries not yet ripe

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Botanical Garden of the Technical University Delft

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Thomas Darling Preserve in Blakeslee, PA
Date: 2016-05-20
wild shrub just leafing out

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: southern New Jersey
Date: 2013-08-10
wild full-grown shrub

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Date: 2011-10-30
wild full-grown shrub in autumn color

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Date: 2011-10-30
autumn foliage

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2008-05-07
the white urn-shaped flowers

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: In my garden.
blueberry row early spring

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Date: 2011-11-02
Fall color on Blueberry leaves.

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jan 12, 2018 8:01 PM concerning plant:

Highbush Blueberry is not only a great commercial fruit crop plant, but it is a beautiful shrub in nature or in landscapes. It has beautiful dark, glossy leaves that turn a good red autumn color. The white urn-shaped flowers in late May or June are pretty. It is a clean, neat shrub. Its native range is from Nova Scotia and southern Maine down into northern Florida to east Texas to northern Illinois & Indiana & Ohio, most of Michigan, and north of Lakes Erie & Ontario and up the St Lawrence River into Quebec in bogs, swamps, bottomlands, near water, pine barrens, and around upland woods. It loves sandy acid soils the best; silt or good quality clay soils also work, but it dislikes heavy clay soils. In landscapes it does not grow as big as in the wild; growing more around 5 or 6 feet high usually, although some of that could be cultivars smaller size. It needs some shelter from strong, dry winds. It does sometimes fail in landscapes somehow, as what can happen to Rhododendrons or Mountainlaurels. It is slow growing of almost one foot/year. It has a fibrous, shallow root system and is easy to transplant. There are over 40 cultivars of this species grown for fruit production.

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Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Jan 27, 2012 2:34 PM concerning plant:

Honey bees get nectar from this plant which produces a light amber honey.

1 reply
Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on Aug 27, 2013 3:29 AM concerning plant:

This is the state fruit of New Jersey.

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Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Sep 23, 2013 6:22 PM concerning plant:

The Highbush Blueberry is the common variety of blueberries grown up north. I have been adding blueberry shrubs for years and now have enough to both feed myself and the backyard birds. As I don't net them, birds come and eat the fruit, but I have enough to share. Nothing beats the taste of fresh picked blueberries.

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Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Mar 17, 2015 5:45 PM concerning plant:

This is a good shrub to incorporate into a landscape. The plant emerges early, it provides pretty blooms and delicious berries, and it is absolutely stunning in the fall when the leaves turn. Keep it well watered for the best fruiting. I have 5 NOIDS that we rescued when a berry farm sold out to a housing development. I wish I knew the varieties.

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Plant Events from our members
Meredith79	On June 25, 2015	Transplanted Planted potted plant.
Meredith79	On June 1, 2015	Miscellaneous Event Mid Season Planted 2015 Named after Elizabeth White, one of the early blueberry researchers. Elizabeth has the flavor everyone loves. The balance of sweetness and tartness cannot be duplicated by any other variety. Berries ripen during midseason; the fruits are medium size and are recommended for u-pick and local fresh markets only. Grown successfully in zones 5-7.
Kristine1212	On April 11, 2018	Seeds sown
WebTucker	On March 22, 2022	Bloomed

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Vaccinium Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Vaccinium
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)