Blueberry Plants/Bushes

All Blueberry Plants $22 each
order 4+ $20 each

  2-gallon container grown bushes
As of July 2008, we have full availability of all blueberry cultivars listed on our website.  We will begin shipping the blueberry plants you order around late August/early September, and through the fall.  This is a fine time for planting our potted blueberry plants.

(sorry for the inconvenience, but we do not ship  blueberry plants to Oregon.)

Index to types:
Lowbush and wild blueberry plants
Highbush blueberry plants:
Early Season, Mid Season, Late Season

Lowbush and wild blueberry plants

Northblue blueberry bush

This cultivar is very productive, producing up to 5# of large-sized berries at maturity.  They are sweet with no hint of tartness when fully ripe, and the bush is very cold-hardy.  Bred in Minnesota for Canadian winters, this plant is a gem.  Short stature of 24 “ means that you can easily cover this bush if birds are a problem.  Planting distance is half that of Highbush cultivars.  Northblue is also very drought hardy when established.  Its berries ripen in late June to early July here in Brown County. Zones 3-7

Friendship blueberry bush

Friendship is a true wild blueberry, and was selected from a wild blueberry heath near Friendship, WI, by breeders looking for superior wild stock for improving the genetics of lowbush cultivars. Friendship performed so well in trials, it was released just as nature intended.  Friendship reaches 36”-46" tall. It is a very vigorous grower producing 4-8# of medium sized, deep blue fruit. Flavor is comparable to the wild blueberry, sweet and aromatic. Fall color is orange-red, and it holds its leaves longer than other cultivars. Ripening is mid-late season, from mid to late July here in Brown County. Zones 4-7

Polaris blueberry bush

Polaris is a close relative of Northblue, bred in Minnesota to withstand the cold and snow. Here in Brown County it has proved extremely hardy. Of all the blueberries I grow, it is the only one that set a full crop of berries after the 2007 April Freeze. No dieback, no browned flowers, and 3 pounds of medium large, powder blue berries. They are very sweet, as they have a high proportion of wild blueberry in their heritage. They grow to 3 feet, and are nice and bushy with strong branches. They are an early variety. Zones 3-7

Rubel blueberry bush

This blueberry bush is an heirloom variety, selected from the wild in 1911 for its superior flavor and vigor. It was one of the first blueberry cultivars named, and the only one from that period still in production.   Rubel is a strong grower, reaching 6-7’ at maturity. Very good yielder of small to medium sized berries with excellent flavor (the flavor of the wild blueberries on the New Jersey barrens). Yields range between 7-12# of berries, which ripen from mid-July to early August here in Brown County. Production here is erratic, with roller-coaster springs seemingly the worst cause of yield reduction. As it is a coastal cultivar, it most likely prefers more tempered springs for best yields. Still, it always produces excellent berries. Zones 4-7

St. Cloud blueberry bush

Another introduction from the University of Minnesota, this plant grows to about 3’ tall. This is the earliest of all of our varieties, producing medium sized berries in full clusters. St. Cloud has a sweet taste and is a sturdy producer (5-7# at maturity) of deep blue berries. Excellent fall color. Ripens 1 week before Duke and Patriot. Is purported to require cross-pollination for fruit set. Zones 4a-7

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Early Season Highbush Blueberry Plants

Hannah's Choice blueberry bush

This is a very early ripening cultivar that has excellent flavored fruit. It yields an average of 9-12 pounds of fruit per season, with the berries being medium-large in size. The bush reaches about 5’ at maturity, and has an upright habit. Flowers have a pink tinge in spring, which sets it apart from most other cultivars. Hannah's ripens even before St Cloud, making it the earliest one I grow. This cultivar produced a 70% crop after the 2007 April freeze. Ripens here in Brown County in Early June. Zones 5b-7

Chanticleer blueberry bush

Chanticleer is a newer variety, and I have just begun the process of seeing how it performs here in south central Indiana. Available in Fall 2008 in gallon size only (price is $12 for this blueberry, as they are small plants). Zones 5b-7

 

Patriot blueberry bush

Short and stocky grower to 4-5’, but can reach 6’ if unpruned. Produces very large berries early, with later ripening berries decreasing to a medium size. Ripens intermittently for staggered harvest over 4-5 weeks. Fruit is formed in tight clusters, with firm berries and dry picking scars lending a longer storage life in the fridge than other cultivars. Patriot is great for homeowners who want to protect and pick from the same bush for a longer period of time, gleaning 10-12# of berries.  Ripens early season, after Hannah and before Blue Moon, about early-mid June here in Brown County. Zones 3a-7

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  Midseason Highbush Blueberry Plants

Blue Moon blueberry bush

This is a full, vigorous shrub reaching 5-6’ in height. Blue Moon’s fruit is large and light blue. The flavor is excellent, and the picking scar is dry, so fruit holds up in the fridge well. A concentrated producer, all fruit can be picked in a two week period. This cultivar is also the most adapted to our latitude and climate, performing with more consistency than any other cultivar. Blue Moon was the number one choice for best flavor at our family’s Fourth of July picnic. A mature plant will yield 10-12# of fruit. Most years, Blue Moon ripens just prior to Blue Gold, mid to late June, but some years ripens in early July here in Brown County. Zones 4a-7

Bluegold blueberry bush

Selected in 1989, Blue Gold was a plant breeders success for late mid-season, sweet blueberries. Blue Gold has a short stature, with a tendency for wide branches. Mature height is 4’, with a classic bushy habit. This cultivar has been a dependable producer.  Blue Gold has medium sized berries that are very sweet, and ripen from early thru mid July here in Brown County.  Zones 4a-7

Elizabeth blueberry bush

This variety was re-introduced to cultivation in 2002 due to the excellent flavor of its fruit. Originally selected in 1966 by the New Jersey Blueberry Council, and named after Elizabeth White, this cultivar has very large, sweet berries of medium blue that ripen after Blue Gold here in Brown County. Yield is 10-12# per bush, with bush height reaching 6 feet with a spreading habit. This cultivar has been one of the fastest growing and producing I have yet planted.  Young plants grow strongly in all directions, so keep low, horizontal branches trimmed to encourage stronger vertical growth.   Zones 4b-9

 
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 Late Season Highbush Blueberry Plants

 

Jersey blueberry bush

This is another heriloom cultivar that has weathered drought, flooding, locusts, and neglect (the Four Horsemen of farming) here on our farm. Although it has not been very productive, it has been very consistent and doughty. Its lower performance on the farm is most likely due to its distant location on high ground, far from water. It purportedly can attain 7' tall, though mine are all more around 5', with yields of 4-7# instead of the listed 7-10# one sees elsewhere. They are small berried, but very tasty, some years with a hint of tartness, some years totally sweet. I will be moving some to a better location, and hope to see them flourish. Jersey has been the sole survivor of a planting that included eight other varieties (Spartan, Earliblue, Blueray, Ivanhoe, Nelson, Herbert, Coville, and Duke). Zones 4b-8
 

Legacy blueberry bush

Introduced in 1993 by the USDA, Legacy has just recently found it's way to our farm. This variety is planted commercially in warmer zones (USDA 7-8), as it shows good resistance to stem canker. I have never seen canker here, but we are not in a commercial blueberry production area (where diseases are, of course, more common). My Legacy plants are still young, but have been growing very vigorously. They should top out at 5-6 feet, and ripens just before Chandler (some years they have overlapped nicely). The berries are medium to medium-large sized, and very sweet when ripened on the bush. I don't have a mature yield on them yet, but it looks as if it will be between 8-10# (possibly more with better irrigation) and fairly consistent. Zones 5-8

Chandler blueberry bush

Chandler is a 1994 release by the USDA Blueberry Breeding Program. It is a new cultivar on our farm, but it does show strong growth and vigor. Chandler’s particular traits are a light blue berry that is consistently very large with fine, sweet flavor. Production is a bit lower than other late season cultivars (we're at 7# on a six year bush), but the berries are so much bigger than others at this time of year, I find it rewarding to grow. Chandler reaches 5-6’ in height, and ripens  late July to mid August, right before Arlen (some overlap) . Zones 5b-8

Arlen blueberry bush

Developed at the North Carolina Agriculture Research Station in Raleigh, Arlen has shown good resistance to stem blight disease in areas where this disease is prevalent. I am replacing (slowly) our Elliott blueberries with Arlen and some other late varieties, because Elliott seems to be very sensitive to water stress and prefers only certain microclimates on our farm. Arlen has larger fruit than Elliott (though not as big as Chandler), and it is a little sweeter. It is still new to our farm, and initial yields have looked good, but I can't see the bush at maturity producing more than
10-12# of berries at our latitude (trials in New Jersey have shown it in excess of 14# per plant). Reaches 5-6' at maturity, and plants are very robust. Zones 5-8

Aurora blueberry bush

Aurora is a new variety that has pushed the envelope of late ripening blueberries. Elliott to date has been the undisputed ruler, but Aurora's main cropping is just ever so slightly later. Admittedly, at our farm's latitude, there is less distinction of ripening times for the late season cultivars, but Aurora is at least as late as Elliott. It is also much easier to grow than Elliott, and has much sweeter berries. This variety has been on our farm for just a few years, but it has been growing well and producing nice berries, the same size as Elliott. It has a habit that is branching, and it is a spreading shrub more than erect.  Aurora's fruit comes ripe between  August and early September (earlier if summer is hot and dry, later if summer temps stay out of the 90's) here in Brown County, Indiana.   Zones 5-8

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Points and Photos about these Backyard Blueberry Shrubs

Sulfur is often suggested for plants that thrive in acidic conditions.  Adult plants can receive 1 cup sprinkled under the mulch every other year.

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Deciding how many plants to get can be resolved with a little work...you just have to decide what you want from your blueberry plants.  The highbush produce far more fruit per plant than the lowbush (2 or sometimes 3 times as much fruit), and some cultivars have small berries (good for jam, freezing, and baking).  If fresh fruit is primarily what you are after, then the large-berried highbush are excellent choices.

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A mature highbush blueberry will dependably produce 10# of fruit per year, which is roughly  equal to 10 struck quarts (meaning level).
Lowbush cultivars produce less per plant, but can be planted closer.  This gives them a similar area production rate to highbush plants.  They are also easier to protect from birds, but harder to pick if you have a stiff back.

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Picking your own homegrown berries is one of the most fulfilling activities a homeowner and gardener can do. You'll be  growing and eating the freshest berries, right in your backyard.  And you will be able to do it organically!

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Photos coming in summer