There are two other options to choose from when deciding which blueberry variety is best for your growing conditions and landscape needs. They are different types of blueberry bushes, each with their own varieties and characteristics. But at the time blueberries were not cultivated and were difficult to harvest. Two types are commonly available in commerce, highbush and the lowbush blueberry. Highbush Blueberry Council, North America produced more than 400 tons of highbush blueberries in 2008. “One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry…” so begins one of my daughter’s favorite books, “Jamberry” by Bruce Degen. The lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) grows as a native plant in Maine and the colder regions of eastern North America. Also called the wild blueberry, these shrubs grow no taller than 2 feet and may be smaller, depending on soil and climate. provide a double bonus when grown in the home garden. These bushes don't require winter chilling as do the northern types. All blueberries were of the wild lowbush variety until they met Elizabeth Coleman White. What are the different types of blueberries? What Is A Lowbush Blueberry – How To Grow Lowbush Blueberries, Highbush Blueberry Plant Care: How To Grow Highbush Blueberry Plants, Types Of Nuts In Gardens – Information On Seed Vs. Nut Vs. Legume, Indoor Winter Savory Care: How To Care For Winter Savory Inside, Fall Themed Fairy Gardens: How To Make A Mini-Thanksgiving Garden, Olive Preservation Guide: How Do You Brine Olives, Bluebell Creeper Info: Growing Bluebell Creeper Plants In The Garden, Boysenberry Plant Info – Tips On Growing A Boysenberry Plant, Tips For Pruning Asters: How To Prune An Aster Plant, Bare Root Planting – How To Plant A Bare Root Plant, The Bountiful Garden: Bringing The Garden To Thanksgiving, Overwintering Containers And End Of Season Cleanup, Must Have Winter Shrubs – Top 7 Shrubs For Winter Interest, Enclosed Porch Garden – Indoor Gardening On The Porch. These are followed by the blueberries. Hopefully, it’ll help make your holiday season as special as possible. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Some cultivars will grow so tall that you have to look up at them. As their name suggests, highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are tall, with some cultivars reaching a height of 6 to 8 feet. White lacked a scientific background, but she wanted to create a cultivated blueberry, something considered impossible at the time. Together they developed hybridized highbush plants that could grow higher and produce a larger berry than the lowbushes. They won’t thrive under a forest canopy that offers dense Fruit production: V. corymbosum, highbush blueberry, a native North American shrub cultivated throughout the country, is the major blueberry-producing species in commerce. “Our feeling is that they have a better taste,” Contour says. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Read on for information on highbush vs. lowbush blueberry crops. The blossoms are white or pink, appearing in clusters at the stem tips. She noticed the wild blueberries that grew between the family's cranberry bogs and realized that since they began to ripen in July, they might complement the cranberry harvest in September and produce additional income. Marie is a certified master gardener and has a Ph.D. in anatomy from Temple University School of Medicine. Read on for information on highbush vs. lowbush blueberry crops. Don’t try growing them in warmer climates since the fruits require winter chilling. Lowbush blueberries accounted for just 75 million pounds, but not due to a lack of popularity. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The northern type, represented by cultivars such as "Blueray," "Jersey" and "Patriot," do best in zones 4 through 7 where winters are cold. These small, flavor and antioxidant-packed fruits are common in abandoned fields, in succession forests, on mountaintops, and along roadsides. According The US. You might also choose a hybrid blueberry that blends the qualities of these two basic types. That’s par for the course for serious agri-business foods, according to Heffernan. Their high antioxidant content makes them a very healthful treat. She also introduced the use of cellophane to package blueberries that led to the clear plastic containers they’re shipped in today. Lowbush blueberries are hardy plants that do well in all soils, even poor, rocky types, providing drainage is good. The majority are grown in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, New Jersey and Michigan, though they can be found in 38 states. If you decide to grow blueberries, the differences between lowbush and highbush blueberry varieties becomes important. All blueberries have similar cultural requirements, regardless of the type you choose to grow. Her work has appeared in health, medical and scientific publications such as Endocrinology and Journal of Cell Biology. Legal Statement. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) Their berries are larger and more abundant than those of the lowbush type, although their flavor may be somewhat less intense and sweet. So, this holiday season, we created a giving campaign for two of our favorite non-profits who are working to help put food on the tables of hungry families across the U.S. and around the world. They have showy red leaves in the spring that mature into blue-green. If higher than 6.5, consider planting your blueberries in a raised bed where you can add soil of proper pH at the start of planting. Highbush blueberries generally produce more fruit than their lowbush relatives. They include cultivars such as "Cape Fear," "Gulf Coast," "O'Neal" and "Blue Ridge". Two types of highbush plants are available, called the northern and southern highbush forms. They thrive in a Mediterranean climate and can grow in warmer climates up to USDA hardiness zone 10. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Blueberries can be eaten right off the bush or used in cooking. They require acid, well-drained soil high in organic matter. What Is a Good Ground Cover around Blueberry Bushes? You see, there are two basic types of blueberries, highbush and lowbush. At home, Heffernan loves them in pancakes “for which blueberries with their perfectly sealed container and boiling point are uniquely suited,” he thinks. Born in 1871, White was the daughter of prosperous cranberry farmers in New Lisbon, NJ. They’re more austere and difficult to get to know as they are far more rare.”, If both were at their best Heffernan would choose Maine, “because of their intensity of fruit flavors and delicate aroma but they’re challenging to harvest and less hospitable about where they grow.”, “In the earliest part of my career,” he recounts, “my mother got remarried in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I as chef wanted to everything local. By 1916 they created the nation’s first commercial crop of blueberries. The major types of blueberries grown in the United States are lowbush … The berries are easy to grow and easy to pick. Since we are in the midst of the blueberry harvest season, it seems as good a time as any to address the hotly contested debate: high or low? According to Patricia Contour, Director of Programs for The Wild Blueberry Commission, highbush berries are bred for size while lowbush berries, which remain wild today, are generally smaller, but are often more flavorful. She has also published in hobbyist offerings such as The Hobstarand The Bagpiper. Blueberries are one of the few fruits indigenous to the United States, and were enjoyed by Native Americans before Europeans arrived in America. If it has a pH between 5 and 6.5, add sulfur to your planting site to increase its acidity. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mountain Lake Biological Station: Northern Highbush and Lowbush Blueberries Vaccinium Spp. They said that seemed easy compared to gathering enough wild blueberries for just one pie as they were strewn across the hillside, interspersed with pickers and Poison Ivy.