Smooth Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Vaccinium ashei
- Vaccinium virgatum
- Phonetic Spelling
- vak-SIN-ee-um coh-rim-BOH-sum
- Description
-
Highbush blueberry is in the heath (Ericaceae family and is native to eastern North America. It can grow 6 to 12 feet tall. It is an upright, multi-stemmed, slow-growing deciduous shrub found naturally in bogs, swamps, and high elevation forests. It is planted for its edible fruit and beautiful fall color.
Although blueberries are self-fertile, planting multiple cultivars that bloom at the same time will lead to larger berries and a higher yield. Extend your harvest by planting early, mid-, and late-season blueberry varieties, which will make the fruit season run from June to mid-September. When planting and the year after, remove all flowers so that the shrub can focus on root and shoot growth. The third year after planting you can prune in the late winter to remove dead wood and maintain the shape of the shrub.
Blueberries require a lower soil pH than many other small-fruit crops and other plants. Therefore, consider grouping them with other acid-loving plants such as hollies, azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias. Before planting, take a soil test. The ideal pH for highbush blueberry is 5.0. Little annual attention is required, except for occasional pruning.
Use highbush blueberry as a hedge or mass planting in edible, pollinator, butterfly, children’s, or rain gardens.
Fire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Spotted wing drosophila may attack the fruit. Potential but infrequent disease problems include stem blight, root rot, anthracnose, cane cankers, mildew, and botrytis. Mummy berry is a fungal disease that causes the berries to shrivel and drop. Birds relish the fruit, so cover shrubs with netting as the fruit ripens. Deer frequently damage these plants. If the soil pH is too high, it will cause chlorosis (yellowing of leaves).
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'Climax'
- 'Legacy'
- 'O'Neal'
- 'Sampson'
Larger fruits.
Smaller but plentiful fruits. - 'Legacy'
- 'Climax', 'Legacy', 'O'Neal', 'Premier', 'Sampson'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
-
'Climax'
- 'Legacy'
- 'O'Neal'
- 'Sampson'
Larger fruits.
Smaller but plentiful fruits. - 'Legacy'
- 'Climax', 'Legacy', 'O'Neal', 'Premier', 'Sampson'
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Vaccinium
- Species:
- corymbosum
- Family:
- Ericaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NS , ON , QC
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract butterflies and bees. This plant provides nectar for pollinators and supports Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) larvae which have one flight and appear from May to July in the North and March to April in the South. Adult Brown Elfin butterflies feed on flower nectar. Its fruit attracts small mammals, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, black bears, squirrels, and songbirds, including American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern and Spotted Towhees, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, and Northern Cardinal. The twigs provide food source for deer and rabbits. Members of the genus Vaccinium support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Conandrena) bradleyi, Andrena (Andrena) carolina, Panurginus atramontensis, Habropoda laboriosa, Colletes productus, Colletes validus, and Osmia (Melanosmia) virga.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- The berries are edible and have been used raw, sun-dried. smoke-dried, and baked. They have high iron content.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Blue to purple small round fruits that show up in August, ripening from a green to pink color to full ripeness. Females cannot produce fruit on their own. Fruit is edible.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Urn
- Flower Petals:
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small pink or white bell-shaped flowers that mature in clusters. Blooms from March to May.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Reddish-green spring leaves turn blue-green in summer with lighter undersides. Excellent fall color with a mix of red, yellow, orange and purple.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Exfoliating
- Furrowed
- Bark Description:
- Old stems have gray-brown thinly furrowed bark
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- New shoots are glabrous with a yellow-green to reddish color in the winter.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Compaction
- Fire
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
