Highbush Vs. Lowbush Blueberries

Lowbush

• Lowbush blueberries are the original blueberry bush grown in the wild throughout the eastern United States. These wild bushes also are grown in home landscapes, growing 6 inches to 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. This smaller size is ideal for ground cover and low shrub accents. Lowbush blueberry bushes are deciduous plants for USDA zones 4-8, with dark green oval leaves that turn a bright red-orange in the fall. Lowbush blueberry shrubs propagate through underground runners, sending up new plant shoots around the mother plant.

Highbush

• Highbush blueberry shrubs were developed as a hybrid blueberry in the early 20th century, creating a larger bush for easier harvesting of the abundant berries. The highbush blueberry will grow to 6 feet tall with an equally wide span. Unlike the lowbush, highbush blueberry shrubs need to be pruned annually to keep the shrub manageable. More species of highbush have been developed than lowbush, with highbush shrubs that can grow and thrive in a wider zone range of 3-9, depending on the variety.

Differences

• Besides the difference in bush size, the fruit of the two shrubs are distinguishable. Highbush blueberries begin ripening in June and continue to produce through July for a long harvest season, while lowbush blueberries become ripe in July and are harvested only at that time. The highbush will produce berries in abundance, with plumper and larger fruit than lowbush blueberries. Though smaller and less plentiful, lowbush blueberries have more flavor than the highbush blueberry.

Blend the Two

• Half-high blueberry shrubs are a hybrid cross between the lowbush and highbush cultivars that grow to a height of 4 feet. The blueberries are abundant and large and ripen similarly to a highbush but are more flavorful, like a lowbush blueberry. Because the half-high blueberry is a hybrid, different highbush varieties have been used in the development, resulting in half-high varieties that tolerate colder weather and snow. Half-high blueberry varieties that are a cross of Ashworth highbush blueberry are hardy to USDA Zone 3.