How to Identify Different Types of Blueberry Bushes

Flowers on blueberry bushes are bell shaped.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants and flavanoids. This fruit helps lower cholesterol and tastes great with cereals and in pancakes. The plant is native to North America. Blueberry plans ripen throughout the summer, and depending on the growing conditions, they can be ready to pick between May and August. There are different types of blueberry bushes that differ from the color of the flower to the taste of the fruit.

Instructions

1. Analyze the shape of the leaves on the blueberry bush. The leaves range from oval to elliptical. For example, the velvet leaf blueberry has elliptical-shaped bright green leaves, while lowbush blueberries have oval-shaped blueish green leaves that turn a purplish red during the fall. Southern blueberry bushes have oval-shaped leaves; northern highbush blueberry bushes have glossy dark green elliptical-shaped leaves.

2. Examine the fruit on the blueberry bush. All blueberry bushes have blue to dark blue fruit, but they differ slightly in size and flavor. Highbush blueberries are one of the largest varieties at 1 inch wide. Lowbush blueberries are smaller but offer a more tangy and sweet taste. The smaller the blueberry, the less water content it carries, making the smaller blueberries more tasty than the larger fruits.

3. Look at the flower on the blueberry shrub. The flowers are all bell-shaped, but they differ in colors. Lowbush and southern highbush blueberries have pink or white flowers. Nothern highbush and alpine blueberry flowers are white and less than an inch in diameter. Velvet leaf blueberry bushes have greenish white, purple, or pale pink flowers.

4. Take notice of how high the blueberry bush grows. Highbush and rabbiteye blueberry bushes are the tallest, growing between 12 and 15 feet tall. The shortest is the lowbush at only 2 feet high. Velvet leaf blueberry bushes grow up to 35 inches tall.

References

• Maine Department of Conservation: "Alpine Blueberry"
• Velvet Leaf Blueberry
• Wild Blueberries Frequently Asked Questions