The Best Blueberry Varieties to Plant in Georgia

Highbush Blueberries

• Highbush blueberries are the most common commercial blueberry, growing on bushes that can reach 6 feet in height. The fruit of a highbush blueberry is very large, which makes the bush popular for home gardens. Highbush blueberries will grow successfully in USDA zones 4 to 11.

Half-High Blueberries

• Half-high blueberries are smaller plants than the highbush variety, but they grow in similar patterns, requiring similar amounts of sunshine, good drainage and nutrition. The fruit size is somewhat smaller, and not as sweet, which makes this variety a bit less popular with growers. More cold-hardy than the highbush, though, this blueberry can grow as far north as USDA zone 3 and is a better option for colder areas of Georgia.

Rabbiteye Blueberries

• Rabbiteye blueberries are best-suited to Southern states like Georgia, where warmth and humidity are prominent. These blueberries grow on bushes reaching up to 10 feet in height. They require more sunshine and warmer temperatures than their hardier relatives, and produce larger, juicier fruit. Rabbiteye blueberries grow best in USDA zones 7 through 9, and the restricted growing area makes them rarer than some of their hardier cousins.