An upright, open growing, spreading Northern Highbush variety, you can expect ‘Bluecrop’ to grow at a medium speed, with a mature height around 5 to 6 feet and a spread of 4-6 feet. Just a few blueberry bushes would provide adequate berries for a small family. provide a double bonus when grown in the home garden. Southern highbush have the lowest chilling requirement. Varieties are categorized by the climate in which they are predominately grown. Much more detailed information on plant establishment and care, including a list of recommended highbush blueberry cultivars, can … They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. FLX-1’ is a southern highbush blueberry clone distinguished by its low chilling requirement, its vigorous, upright bush and by its very firm, sweet berries Read More Savory Contact our expert sales team member for your region for more details. The common name refers to the relatively tall stature of these plants. These varieties have low winter chilling requirements. Even self-pollinating varieties, however, produce more and larger fruit when cross-pollination with a different variety takes place. Provisional PVR Protection 'Hortblue Petite'. Southern Highbush varieties are typically a hybrid of the northern highbush and native southern blueberries or rabbiteye blueberries. Of course, many varieties from the past continue to set standards for certain quality or timing measures and earn their place on the new year’s roster. Many varieties adapt to more than one chill level and may be recommended in multiple environments. Early season southern highbush will ripen 2 to 3 weeks before early rabbiteyes, and mid-season varieties will ripen 8 to 12 days before early rabbiteyes. Read More. Posted on July 11, 2019 July 12, 2019. There are three main types of cultivated blueberries that can be grown in the Southeast: rabbiteye, Southern highbush and Northern highbush. Like Southern highbush blueberries, these selections of the Southeast native Vaccinium ashei are adapted to hot, humid summers and mild winters. Vaccinium corymbosum 'Duke' is a bushy upright deciduous shrub, with small oval dark green leaves turning attractive shades of yellow and orange in the fall. This fact sheet focuses on the rabbiteye and Southern highbush types, as they are more adapted to … All highbush blueberries are similar, but each variety is slightly different from the next. Acid soil required. Blue Suede holds on to its foilage throughout the year. Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Bluecrop’ in 5-Inch Containers, available from Nature Hills The most popular variety in the world! Plus all of our northern highbush plants are self-pollinating, which is ideal for those with limited growing space. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries and Madeira blueberries. Blueberries are perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are often taller and wider than highbush plants and ripen their large, light blue berries from May into August, depending on location and selection. There are many blueberry varieties, so Willis Orchard Company has made it easy for you by offering only the best varieties. Vaccinium corymbosum, the northern highbush blueberry, is a North American species of blueberry which has become a food crop of significant economic importance. Zones MS, LS, CS; USDA 7-9. Upright and quite compact bush, with fruit borne on the outer periphery. Consistently rated by growers and customers as the best tasting blueberry. Highbush Blueberries vs. Lowbush. Tag: blueberry varieties. Type: Northern Highbush Season: Mid-season General Description: Mid-chill (700-800 hours) northern highbush breed by a grower, Joseph Eberhardt and originally released in 1933. Most small blueberry operations harvest their fruit by hand. Midseason, sweet, firm berry. Our plants are 2 to 4 + years old ready for planting. Some Southern Highbush are self-pollinating, but the berries will be larger if two varieties are planted together. Vigorous grower producing medium to large size berries late in the season. Blueberry varieties will cross-pollinate within group types and improved fruit set and an extended harvest season can be obtained by planting 3 or 4 varieties in the garden. Zones 4-8. It can grow 8-15 feet. The berries are medium to large, have average colour and scar with resistance to dropping and cracking. This is a Highbush Blueberry requiring a higher chill requirement than the Rabbiteye varieties. One unique feature of plants within this botanical family is that they require acidic soil conditions with pH ranges between 4 to 5 units. Non-selected materials for conservation … They meld right into a shrub border or can be used as a hedge by itself. Chilling requirement is estimated at 400-500 hours. Native to the sunny acidic swampy areas of eastern North America. Many southern highbush are self fertile, however, the planting of multiple varieties is still recommended for improved fruit set. This variety does best in the south, southwest, and west coast. Our varieties typically ripen in July or August (slightly later than their southern highbush counterparts) and produce abundant crops of firm, flavorful, aromatic blueberries. Southern varieties grow in hardiness zones 7-10. The northern highbush is most common type grown worldwide and in the Pacific Northwest. Some blueberry varieties require cross pollination, others don’t. Again, newer varieties are listed in bold. Bluecrop. This publication briefly describes each type of blueberry. Southern Highbush. Northern highbush varieties grow in hardiness zones 4-7. To learn about growing your own blueberries and selecting the ideal blueberry plants for your region, click here for resources. GO TO LIST OF ALL BLUEBERRY VARIETIES. Highbush blueberries belong to the same family of plants as cranberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas. The second type is called ‘Highbush Blueberry’, Vaccinium corymbosum. Uniquely robust sweet flavor, highly rated in USDA trials. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) It is an upright, multi-stemmed, slow-growing deciduous shrub with brilliant fall foliage. It requires longer and colder winters with chill hours between 800-1000 hours. Blueberry Plants and Bushes. Cross-pollination has been associated with improved fruit set, weight, and shortened time to ripening in southern highbush blueberry [SHB (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids)]. Blueberry Plants. Southern Highbush blueberry bushes offer gardeners unique foliage, bloom and plant characteristics that aren’t found in the Northern Highbush. It is brightly colored in the fall and green in the winter. Muffin™ has heavy crops of medium sized fruit. Find which blueberry varieties grow best in your region. Produced and marketed by Tharfield Nursery Ltd in association with Plant & Food Research. Within this group are the Southern Highbush and the Northern Highbush blueberries. While blooming late in the season, the fruits ripen early. Mechanical harvesters are available, but you need a large planting to justify the expense. Improved varieties for commercial berry production are readily available. To be safe, plant at least two varieties that flower at the same time, unless wild blueberries are nearby. Highbush blueberry plant care begins with proper site selection and soil amendment. Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry) Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a woody perennial shrub that is a member of the heath, or Ericaceae, family. The advantage of this is that the blossoms will not be damaged by late spring frost. Aurora, Draper and Liberty, commercially released together in 2004, remain the most widely planted northern highbush blueberry varieties on Earth. Southern Highbush Blueberry Varieties. However, growing blueberry plants in gardens and on farms is a relatively recent occurrence, since breeding and propagation of blueberry plants did not begin until early in the 20th century. It is planted for its delicious edible fruit and beautiful fall color. Blue Suede: A Southern Highbush Blueberry Variety. Blueberries don’t appeal to honeybees, because the flowers have long corollas, and nectaries are … Blueberries are long-lived perennials, so taking care at the beginning will pay off for years. Northern highbush -- … Berries Unlimited only provides tissue cultured and virus indexed plants for northern blueberries (we also provide southern blueberry bushes), and that ensures the health of the plant and our customer's success and to get the most yield possible. Highbush Blueberry is in the Ericaceae family. Self-pollination is not unique to Ventura, as other highbush blueberry varieties can also produce fruit in the absence of pollinators. Most highbush blueberry varieties are self-fertile. Blueberry Cultivars for the Pacific Northwest T here are five main types of blueberries grown in the United States: northern highbush, southern highbush, rabbiteye, lowbush, and half-high. Highbush blueberry is a native, upright, 6-12 feet tall, crown-forming shrub. Blueberry Varieties. Each year, we review available material in our own development program and those of our breeding partners to offer the finest selections available. Legacy Northern Highbush Blueberry-WHERE TO BUY THIS VARIETY-A USDA introduction from the blueberry research station in New Jersey. We have many varieties that ripen throughout the growing season for long harvest of blueberries. Blueberry plants are easy to grow and have a long productive life. Different varieties can grow from 2 to 6 feet tall. In 1976 and 1977, the University of Florida blueberry breeding program released three southern highbush blueberry varieties (‘Sharpblue’, ‘Flordablue’, and ‘Avonblue’) that were bred specifically for Florida's mild climate and showed promise for producing early-ripening, high-quality fruit. Highbush blueberries typically grow up to 6-8 feet high (180-240 cm) and yield up to 7 pounds per plant. It is found naturally in bogs, swamps, and high elevation forests. The most commonly planted type of blueberry is the Northern Highbush. These are best suited for central and south Florida. Blueberry varieties testing conducted in Santa Clara County to evaluate the following characteristics of each of the varieties: flavor, productivity, harvest season, landscape value including plant form, foliage characteristics, fall foliage color, and winter ornamental value. Recommended Varieties. Most commonly used for commercial production. 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