Backyard
Berry Plants
Certified Organic by

We are now taking orders for blueberry plants that will be shipped
starting in August and through November. All cultivars should
be available (Arlen and Patriot WILL NOT be available until 2011).
Some cultivars are in limited supply.
Orders will be shipped
in the order they are received.
Thank you to all of our patrons for your enthusiasm and support of
Backyard Berry Plants,
your certified organic berry plant nursery.
(sorry for the inconvenience, but we are unable to ship blueberry plants to Oregon.)
I have started to add some pictures of fruiting blueberry plants
in our websites photo gallery, which can be reached by clicking here
Photo Gallery
, or on the link which is in the address bar at the
bottom of this page.
Need to find your USDA hardiness zone?
This link will take you there:
USDA
planting zone map
Index to types:
Lowbush and wild
highbush blueberry plants
Northern
Highbush blueberry plants:
Early Season,
Mid Season,
Late Season
New for 2010!
Southern Highbush blueberry plants
This cultivar is very productive, producing 3# 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
As this plant is so much smaller than the other lowbush, we've
decided to grow Northblue in a 1 or 1.5 gallon pot. They
are very cute, productive plants, and excellent for
container culture on the patio, porch, or balcony in USDA zones 5-7. Best grown
outdoors.
Northsky grows just 12"-18" tall, and yields around 2# of
small-medium sized, sweet, sky-blue berries a year. Great for
containers and small gardens (square foot and others). Very
hardy plant, it can be spaced 18-24" apart. Northsky is from
the same traditional breeding program that produced Northblue, and
resembles in both habit and berry flavor the wild lowbush
blueberries that is Northskys heritage. Northsky has been
growing at our farm for over 10 years, and has never failed to
produce (even in the 2007 Freeze, Northsky made a crop of berries).
Hardy to zones 3a-7.
Like Northblue, we grow this small blueberry in a wide 1 gallon, and
its price is $18.50 a plant. It has the same potted hardiness
as Northblue. Best grown outdoors.
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 4-6# 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.
Friendship also lends itself to container culture (USDA zones 5-7) but
does need a larger pot than would be used for the Northblue or Polaris
blueberries. Zones 4-7
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.
Excellent for outdoor container culture in USDA zones 5-7. Polaris
continues to be the stoutest blueberry cultivar we grow and sell.
It is an early variety. Zones 3-7
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
Another introduction from the University of Minnesota, this plant grows to about 3’ tall. This is the earliest of all of our
lowbush varieties, producing medium sized berries in full clusters. St. Cloud has a sweet taste and is a sturdy producer (5# 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
New for 2010!
Developed by Michigan State University, Northland is a bushy,
limber-branched shrub that can withstand winds and heavy snow loads
without breaking. Hardy for the North, it has mostly wild
heritage, which shows through in the berries. They are sweet,
small sized, dark blue, and prolific, with yields ranging from 10-14
pounds of fruit (the higher yields will be seen in more northerly
areas, especially coastal areas with moderated springs and ample
winter snowfall). An excellent, compact bush, Northland grows to
around 4 feet tall, and has beautiful fall colors that range from
reds to oranges.
Hardy in USDA zones 3-7.
New for 2010! Limited quantities.
From the breeding program of the University of Minnesota,
Chippewa is a northern gem. Growing to 3-4 feet tall, it is a
compact, attractive, cold-hardy blueberry plant. Ripening near
the end of June here in Brown County, IN, Chippewa stands out from
the other cultivars with its elliptical, dark green leaves, which are
thicker than leaves found on other cultivars. Fully
self-pollinating, Chippewa produces respectable yields of 3-6 pounds
of very sweet berries. Berry size is variable from medium to
large sized. Very cold hardy, it has produced well after
winters of minus 40 below in Minnesota. I have found that Chippewa prefers
a planting mix that is comprised fully of sphagnum peat moss and
shredded pine bark mulch or mini-nuggets. Unless you live in
an area with lots of native blueberry, follow planting suggestions
for "soil-less" method for best results.
Hardy in USDA zones 3-7.
Introduced by the USDA /New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cara's Choice is a strong yielder with a more compact shape. Coming ripe between Blue Moon and Bluegold (most years it overlaps the last of Blue Moon and the first of Bluegold), Cara's berries are medium large with fine, aromatic sweetness and light, powder blue berries. Growing to just a little over 4 feet tall, and yielding an average 8-12# of fruit, Cara's is easily worked into smaller gardens or backyards. Zones 5-7.
New for 2010!
This cultivar was named for its very large sized fruit and
consistent, high yields. The extra-large, juicy, bright blue
berries are very sweet, and yields on a mature bush will range
between 8-12 pounds (higher yields have been reported in coastal
Michigan). Bonus will mature to a height of 5-6' by 3' wide,
with an upright habit and strong branches. Bonus begins
ripening its fruit a little after Elizabeth has begun turning ripe.
The size and flavor of the berries on Bonus make it a great cultivar
for exhibition or fresh-market sales at farmers markets.
Hardy in USDA zones 4-8.
Sold Out for 2010 season.
Available in summer 2011.
Nelson is a late, mid-season blueberry bush that yields sweet,
very large berries that are firm and juicy. It is also very
cold hardy, growing well into USDA zone 3. Nelson must be
planted in a pure mix of sphagnum peat moss with shredded pine bark
mulch or mini-nuggets to thrive. Local soils, unless one lives
in blueberry country, are too challenging for Nelson to perform
well. But we have had great fortune with it here in the peat
mix. Nelson grows to 6 feet tall, yielding 10-13 pounds of
fruit a season at maturity (8 years old). Developed by the
ARS-USDA as a cold hardy, large fruited berry with excellent flavor.
Hardy in USDA zones 3-7.
Sold out for 2010 shipping
season.
Available starting August 2011.
New for 2010!
Available for shipping beginning
August 2010
Limited quantities available this year as we assess demand and
build up our stock.
These blueberry cultivars thrive in warmer districts of the
United States, including the Gulf Coast, Florida and Southern
California. They do not require the winter chilling that
Northern highbush and lowbush require, but produce the same
high-quality berry with a similar yield to their Northern cousins.
Ripening of the berries will occur earlier in the year the further
south one is, but the order of ripening among the different
cultviars will remain consistent.
I have listed their hardiness zones, and suggest two different
cultivars for proper cross-pollination, unless the cultivar is
listed as self-pollinating. Self-pollinating cultivars will
also act as cross-pollinators. One may also see slightly
larger berries on the self-pollinating cultivars when they are
cross-pollinated by another cultivar. The more the merrier,
when it comes to blueberries!
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
This cultivar was developed by Patrick Hartmann and Arthur
Elliott, two men who've spent a lot of time growing and breeding
blueberries.
Paloma is a self-pollinating southern cultivar,
yielding between 8-12 pounds of medium sized, excellent quality
berries. Flavor is very sweet when ripe. Paloma is the
earliest ripening of the southern highbush that I offer.
Plants begin ripening in early April in Alachua County, Florida
(Gainesville and University of Florida, my alma mater, are there).
Released in 2004 by Hartmann's.
Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9.
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
O'Neal is only slightly behind Paloma in ripening time, and is
also a self-pollinating cultivar. Developed in North Carolina,
O'Neal is an exceptional plant for the Southeast and Gulf States.
O'Neal has large berries that are sweet and firm, and pick cleanly
from the bush. Yields of 6-10 pounds of high quality fruit can
be produced on mature plants. O'Neal grows 4-6' tall with
stout stems and attractive foliage, and has an upright, spreading
habit. O'Neal can be sensitive to late frosts in the more
northerly part of its range, so be sure to plant it on higher
elevations of your property, and avoid hollows and low-areas.
Hardy in USDA zones 7b-9.
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
This southern highbush prefers climates with little to no frost
potential, and can be grown even in tropical conditions, where it
tends to flower and fruit in cycles year 'round. Biloxi tends
to be evergreen in its most southern zone, and produces
medium-large berries with excellent flavor that are firm and light
blue. Yields can be expected to range between 8-10 pounds on a
mature plant. Biloxi grows vigorously to around 5 feet tall
and 3 feet wide, with a spreading habit and bushy appearance.
Released in 1998 by ARS/USDA.
Hardy in USDA zones 8b-11.
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
Developed and released by the University of Florida in 1989,
Misty remains one of the most widely planted and appreciated
southern highbush cultivars. Misty has an upright, spreading
habit, reaching 4-6 feet tall at maturity. The overall look of
this vigorous cultivar is very attractive, having nice foliage cover
and uniform branching. The berries match this with their
sweetness. Mature plants will yield 8-12 pounds of medium to
large berries, with a sky-blue color. Spring flowers are often
tinged a light pink, which adds another mark in the landscaping
value of this cultivar. Better yields are realized with
cross-pollination.
Hardy in USDA zones 6b-10.
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
Sharpblue, since its release in 1984 by UF, has become the most
widely planted and adaptable of the low-chill, southern highbush
cultivars available, both domestic and internationally. Even
though there have been newer cultivars released which have improved
on individual aspects of Sharpblue, none have been able to replace
its reliability and adaptability across such a wide growing range.
Sharpblue produces 8-12 pounds of sweet berries, with higher yields
reported when irrigation and soil fertility are at their best.
Sharpblue will grow vigorously to a mature height of 5-6 feet tall,
with good structure and spreading habit. A very full and
robust shrub, Sharpblue looks great in the landscape as well.
In its most southern range, Sharpblue will remain evergreen, and
bloom and fruit periodically through the year. Does best in
locations that don't receive spring frosts that are hard and late.
Best yields in berries with cross-pollination.
Hardy in USDA zones 7b-10
Available for shipping beginning August 2010
Sunshine Blue is a great, compact grower, and high yielder,
similar to Blue Gold and Cara's Choice (which are northern highbush
cultivars). Mature plant size is 3-4 feet tall and wide with
an upright habit. Evergreen in its southern range, Sunshine
Blue is also quite cold-hardy, successfully growing into USDA zone
6 (where it is semi-deciduous). This cultivar yields 5-9 pounds of sweet, medium-sized
berries on a mature plant. Berries can be picked over a 3-5
week period. Sunshine Blue is also self-pollinating, though
slightly higher yields (and larger berries) can be realized with
cross-pollination from another cultivar.
Hardy in USDA zones 6b to 10.
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.
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!