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As far as it’s a berry, we like it. But when it’s a blueberry, we love it even more!
Those cute ball-like coloured blueberries that are plump and juicy aren’t merely tasty. Nutrients, antioxidants, fibre, and vitamins abound.
Blueberries, fortunately, are simple to cultivate with minimal effort—as long as you have the correct soil conditions.
In this article, we are going to discuss what blueberries are and the 10 different varieties we can grow.
Blueberry Plants: What Are They?
Blueberries are a common perennial fruit plant native to North America that belongs to the Vaccinium genus.
The blue fruit, which is high in antioxidants, has a long growing season and may grow in small spaces for up to twenty years, producing crops.
They’re all flowering plants with white, pink, nodding ( or looking down) bell-shaped flowers that bloom in clusters of one to two dozens in late spring through summer.
The berries follow, remaining on the branches until fully grown, at which point they fall to the ground and seed.
Blueberries, on the other hand, reproduce by sending out rhizomes from their roots. In this situation, the new little shrub is a clone of the mother plant.
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Top 10 Blueberry Varieties For Your Garden
Not every one of these will work in your garden. A lot depends on the weather, and some people prefer warmer weather while others prefer colder weather.
Here are some of our favourite blueberry cultivar variations for home gardeners to try.
1. Sunshine Blue Blueberry
Sunshine Blue is a highbush blueberry cultivar with excellent ornamental attributes. Although the blossoms are a lovely pink colour, the name comes from the vibrant blue colour of the berries.
It’s not exceptionally tall or compact, making it perfect for low hedges and borders. When the blueberries begin to ripen, they will bring a large number of birds to your garden, and the foliage will provide a final burst of colour, taking on scarlet tints as October approaches and the season draws to a close.
2. Blueberry Blueray
With tasty, light blueberries that ripen in early to mid-July, this Northern Highbush cultivar is well-known for cross-pollination with other highbush cultivars.
With a maximum height of five to six feet and a spread of three to four feet, the green foliage turns scarlet in the fall.
The crack-resistant ‘Blueray’ berries are noted for having a robust blueberry flavour and scent, as well as firm flesh.
This type is noted for producing a lot, which implies it will automatically set an abundance of fruit that might stress the plant, requiring regular and careful pruning.
3. Blueberry Brightwell
This is a bigger variety, reaching a maximum height of eight to ten feet with a nearly equal spread and enormous fruit.
It’s a rabbiteye variety, which means the berries change colour from pink to blue as they develop.
This self-fruiting type produces big quantities, so you can plant only one if you want, though you’ll get larger yields if you cross-pollinate with a friend. It is suggested that you use Tifblue or Climax.
Many cultivars necessitate careful mulching and soil amendment, but this one isn’t as fussy and can withstand late frost.
Although Brightwell may handle partial sun, it is usually better for fruit-bearing plants to have full sun. It has lovely pink blooms and green foliage that turns crimson and orange in the fall.
The foliage of this highbush species, on the other hand, put on a spectacular show of hues. In the winter, they are green with hints of pink, blue, and sometimes turquoise. The colour, on the other hand, is highly dependent on light, thus it is better to grow it in full sun.
The berries are particularly distinct in that their flavour is significantly greater than that of most blueberries.
4. Blueberries Pink Icing
Blueberry Pink Icing is a beautiful young cultivar for decorating. The name isn’t derived from the berries, which turn dark blue when fully grown.
The blueberries are ready for harvest mid-season, with a mature height of three to four feet and an upright mounded spread of four to five feet, and are recognized for their powerful flavour.
With leaves in varied colours of pink, blended with blue and dark green, and an appealing turquoise blue colour in winter, new growth in the spring provides decorative interest. Pink Icing prefers full sun but may thrive in partial shade.
You won’t have to perform much trimming with this self-pollinating dwarf type because it’s low care. The fast-growing plants can live for 20 years if nurtured in the appropriate conditions.
5. Powder Blue
Powder Blue is a resistant cultivar with the right growth characteristics and a medium growth rate, reaching ll size and width of six to ten feet.
Late spring to early summer sees the blooming of white flowers, which provide extra protection from late freezes. In the fall, the green foliage turns crimson and gold.
This rabbiteye variety is considered sweeter than others, with harvests occurring later in the season than other cultivars.
Expect a strong production of large, light blue berries in clusters of up to 50 berries per cluster, which are ideal for canning. They also hold up well in the freezer.
Plant Powder Blue with other cultivars for cross-pollination, as it is a long-lived variety.
6. Evergreen Blueberry
The evergreen blueberry is a native of the United States’ Southeast, where it thrives in the acidic soil of pine forests. It grows in bushes that are pretty thick and have finely textured green and bluish-green foliage.
They have an oblong to spherical habit and can be known to take on rugged geometric designs, making them quite ornamental in gardens.
The blossoms are off white and abundant, with dark blueberries This plant has a few cultivars, Of course, this blueberry’s best feature as a garden shrub is that it’s evergreen!
7. Hairy-Fruited Blueberry
The hairy-fruited blueberry is a unique member of this genus… It’s great if you want to stand out, and it has several unique characteristics that make it a fascinating decorative garden plant. Why?
This blueberry, unlike any other we’ve seen thus far, has thick, broad elliptical leaves and blackberries… but with hairy dawn that sets them apart from her sisters…
Because it is a native of Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas, it adapts well to temperate climates. Its natural surroundings are oak-pine ridges, and it appears to be ideal for an informal, forest-inspired garden.
8. Top Hat
Its leathery green leaves change colours to bronze in the fall, and it blooms with white flowers in the spring.
These little plants are suitable for limited places and may be grown in pots; some gardeners have even tried cutting this variety into a tidy ornamental bonsai! ‘Top Hat’ can be used as a border plant as well.
With a half-high growth habit, ‘Top Hat’ will reach a total height of 18 to 24 inches at maturity, with a spread of one to two feet, according to Michigan State University.
Top Hat plants may take partial shade and grow at a medium rate in well-drained soil, however, they refer to tool sun.
This self-pollinating dwarf cultivar may be grown on its own and yields full-size berries in July and August, despite its small stature.
9. Biloxi
This Southern Highbush cultivar was developed at Mississippi State University and is a very young cultivar. It’s also suitable for low- or no-chill situations.
That’s right: ‘Biloxi’ may thrive in your area even if you don’t have enough nights with temperatures below freezing to grow other sorts of fruit. Although you can still anticipate fruit if you plant it in a lower region, it grows better with less than 150 chill hours every season.
Plant in acidic soil enriched with pine mulch and peat, in full sun, for a robust growth habit and medium-sized berries that are available to harvest early in the season.
10. Legacy
According to the USDA’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, this Northern Highbush cultivar is recognized for the sweetness and good taste of its huge berries.
The disease-resistant plants can reach maximum heights of over six feet at maturity, with a spread of three to six feet, and their leaves turn crimson in the fall.
Legacy fruit preserves well and grows vigorously and uprightly, thanks to large yields and a late mid-season harvest. It will even preserve part of its leaves through mild winters, adding to the visual appeal of the garden.
Blueberries Benefits
Jams, preserves, and smoothies all use blueberries as a key ingredient. This delicious, healthy fruit comes in a wide range of types, some of which are suitable for home production.
Blueberries have a long list of established health advantages, including:
- They safeguard your body’s cholesterol, ensuring that it is not harmed.
- They help to prevent DNA damage.
- They help you remember things better.
- They help you to have reduced blood pressure.
- They’re high in antioxidants.
- They help to keep your heart healthy.
- They aid in the prevention of diabetes.
- They help you think more clearly and boost your brain function.
Conclusion
It will be difficult to choose just one of the numerous tantalizing options available. You don’t have to, thankfully!
Planting multiple varieties of the same type (e.g., highbush or rabbiteye) to ensure a substantial crop is suggested.
You’ll have to be patient because production won’t peak until the plants are at least a few years old, but the fruit is well worth the wait.
