PlantFiles: Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum

This is a nice blueberry that would be still nicer, if it had been a better self-pollinator. I grow mine in a pot and have seen few blueberries. No highbush blueberrries anywhere near me. Otherwise, it looks nice in its container and has interesting autumn colours.

Blueberries are an excellent landscaping plant, providing the gardener with fairly disease-resistant, trouble-free fruit, on a plant that serves double-duty as an ornamental shrub, with beautiful blooms and nice foliage.

Blueberries do require an acidic soil, typically 5.5 pH or lower, and can take three to five years to begin bearing sizeable quantities of fruit. Protect ripening fruit from hungry birds with netting.

Highbush blueberries are the ones most commonly found in commercial production. They can achieve a height of 10' or more if not pruned properly. Most growers maintain a height of 6' or so for easier fruit gathering.

There are many named varieties, some of which will do better in colder climates; others in the warmer areas of the country.

Fruit is relatively large, typically about 1/2" to 1" in diameter. When harvesting the fruit for freezing, do not wash the fruit. Rather, lay it in a single layer in a shallow pan or baking sheet, pick over carefully and freeze. (Washing the fruit removes its waxy blush, which protects it from mold, and will cause the fruit to stick together.) When frozen, place in an airtight container or bag. To use, pour out the frozen fruit and rinse before adding to the recipe.