Who Doesn't Love Variety?
With so many blueberry varieties available it's hard to know which ones are the best!
At Blueberry Love we only grow the best.
Plump and full of flavour!
Blueberry Varieties
Lowbush Blueberries
(Vaccinium angustifolium), commonly known as the wild lowbush blueberry, is a species of blueberry native to eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States, growing as far south as the Great Smoky Mountains and west to the Great Lakes region. Lowbush blueberry varieties are shorter bushes growing under half a meter. Lowbush blueberries are not generally found in Australia.
Highbush Blueberries
Northern highbush and southern highbush. Highbush blueberry varieties are more disease resistant than other blueberry varieties. The highbush cultivars are self-fertile. Cross-pollination by another cultivar can be beneficial for the production of larger berries. Rabbiteye and lowbush are not self-fertile. The rabbiteye blueberries need a different rabbiteye cultivar to pollinate and the lowbush varieties can be pollinated by either another lowbush or a highbush cultivar.
Northern highbush blueberry bush varieties are native to the eastern and northeastern United States. They grow approx 1.5 - 2.5 meters in height. They require more pruning of the blueberry varieties. A list of highbush cultivars include: Bluecrop, Bluegold, Blueray, Duke, Elliot, Hardyblue, Jersey, Legacy, Patriot & Rubel.
Of these, northern highbush blueberry varieties are the most common types of blueberries cultivated throughout the world. For a bountiful fruit yield, plant more than one cultivar.
Southern highbush blueberry bush varieties are hybrids of V. corymbosum and a Floridian native, V. darrowii, that can grow between 2 to 2.5 meters in height. This variety of blueberry bush is for areas with mild winters, as they require less chilling time to break bud and flower. Some southern highbush cultivars are: Golf Coast, Misty, Oneal, Ozarkblue, Sharpblue & Sunshine Blue.
Rabbiteye Blueberries
Rabbiteye blueberries are native to the southeastern United States and grow between 2 to 3 meters in height. They were created to thrive in areas with long, hot summers. They are more susceptible to winter cold damage than northern highbush blueberries. The varieties include: Brightwell, Climax, Powderblue, Premier & Tifblue.
Half-high Blueberries
Half-high blueberries bushes are a cross between northern highbush and lowbush berries. These bushes will tolerate temperatures 1 to 7 Celcius. A medium-sized blueberry, plants grow 1 meter in height. They do well containers. These blueberry bushes need less pruning. Some half-high varieties you will find are: Bluegold, Friendship, Northcountry, Northland, Northsky, Patriot & Polaris.
Blueberry Availability
While there are many varieities of blueberry bushes, not all of them are readily available and or obtainable here in Australia because of bio-security border controls of Australia, licensing etc...
The white, powdery substance on fresh blueberries is called “bloom.” Bloom is actually a sign of freshness. The bloom is the blueberry’s natural protection against the sun and if you can see it, it means the berries have been picked in nice, dry conditions.
