Blueberry Plants for the Shade

Growing Bushes for Fruit

• If a full-sun site is out of the question for your blueberry bushes, you can plant them in a site that receives as much as 50 percent shade during the day, according to the North Carolina Extension Service, and still produce a decent yield of fruit. Because plants use sunlight to generate the sugar they use for energy, less sunlight means less energy to produce berries. To give your blueberries the best chance of thriving on a shady site, test the soil's pH; blueberries require an acidic soil 5.0 or lower. High levels of organic matter in the soil and pine-based mulches keep the pH low and create an ideal environment for your plants.

Lowbush Blueberry

• The lowbush blueberry (V. angustifolium) is one of North America's native blueberry species and grows primarily in the rocky soils of the Appalachian forests. Accustomed to growing in the shade of larger trees, this low, spreading shrub can thrive on sites ranging from full sun to full shade. Its pink, bell-shaped flowers adorn the forest in the spring, and its foliage puts on a vivid red show in the autumn. Like its relatives, the lowbush blueberry produces edible fruit for people and wildlife alike.

Highbush Blueberry

• For a taller, showier shrub, the highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) will adorn the shady spots in your garden as readily as it will the sunny sites. Reaching 6 to 12 feet in height, the highbush blueberry features pink, bell-shaped flowers in the spring and lush, blue-green foliage throughout the summer. Autumn colors range from yellow and orange, deepening to shades of red and purple.

Alpine Blueberry

• The alpine blueberry (V. uliginosum) grows as far north as the Arctic Circle, south to the extreme northern United States. It will grow on sunny or shady sites. Its dusky pink flowers precede dark blue berries and enliven northern gardens in the spring.

Blueberries for Mild Climates

• If you live in a region without harsh winters, you have additional options for blueberries to plant in your shady spots. The oval-leaf blueberry (V. ovalifolium) grows along the coast, from the Pacific Northwest, east along the Gulf of Mexico, and prefers moist soils. Tasty, edible fruits follow the attractive dark pink blossoms. The Darrow's or evergreen blueberry (V. darrowii), as its name suggests, keeps its foliage year-round in the southeastern region where it grows natively. Its tiny leaves, flowers and fruit give it a distinctive appearance from most blueberry plants. Like the oval-leaf blueberry, it prefers moist sites.