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VARIETY CHART - NORTHERN HIGHBUSH

Northern Highbush | Southern Highbush | Half-High Blueberries | Various

		FRUIT			BUSH HABIT
Variety	Zone	Season	Size	Flavor	Mature Size	Bush Shape	Fall Color
Northern Highbush Earliblue	5-7	Very Early		Sweet	4-6 ft	Upright	Red, Burgundy
First to ripen and early to bloom, this upright bush produces stout canes with bright red wood, while displaying large glossy green leaves in the summer and brilliant mixed red colors in the fall. Berries are light blue and large in size. Plant where blueberries are well suited and avoid frost pockets.
Northern Highbush Bluetta	4-7	Very Early		Tangy	3-5 ft	Upright Compact	Red, Scarlet
Bluetta is a great candidate for colder climates because it blooms a little later, yet ripens early. It is very productive, yielding berries that are slightly dark and medium sized, with a unique wild flavor. Bluetta is compact in growth and has notable scarlet colors in fall, making it an excellent selection for edible landscaping.
Northern Highbush Duke	4-7	Early		Mildy Sweet	4-6 ft	Stocky Upright	Orange, Yellow
Duke is the most widely planted early ripening northern variety, and for good reason. It is a heavy, consistent producer with an attractive, firm, light blue high quality berry. Duke blooms late but ripens early, which protects the blossoms from spring frosts. Branches may droop to the ground when laden with fruit, prompting many gardeners to use a simple trellis as support.
Northern Highbush Spartan	5-7	Early		Tangy Sweet	4-6 ft	Upright	Yellow, Orange
Spartan is one of the most attractive, easy to pick and best flavored blueberries, making it a favorite at farm market stands and with home gardeners. Spartan can be particular about soil types, requiring a site with light, well-drained soils and abundant organic matter.
Northern Highbush Patriot	3-7	Early		Tangy	3-5 ft	Open Spreading	Fiery Red, Yellow, Orange
Patriot was selected for home gardeners who desire a cold-hardy variety that bears consistent crops. Patriot’s low growing bush reflects its partial lowbush parentage. It is adaptable to many soil types and may perform better in wetter soils than many other varieties. Patriot makes an excellent landscape variety with its showy white blooms in the spring, dark green summer foliage, and fiery orange-red fall colors.
Northern Highbush Northland	3-7	Early-Mid		Sweet	4-7 ft	Upright Spreading	Yellow, Orange
Northland is the most cold-hardy Highbush variety. It is easy to grow and adaptable to many different soil types. This very productive variety often yields over 20 pounds per bush when mature. The berries are excellent for jams and baking because of their high sugar content. The bright yellow wood and compact shape makes Northland a good candidate for landscaping, especially when grouped with other compact varieties like Bluetta or Patriot.
Northern Highbush Bluejay	4-7	Early-Mid		Mild	6-7 ft	Upright	Red, Burgundy
Bluejay grows rapidly and is relatively easy to establish. Long, loose clusters of light blue fruit will hang on the bush for long periods without loss of quality, making it one of the best berries for freezing, pies, and even for canning. Light green colored leaves in summer reveal bright yellow canes and branches in winter.
Northern Highbush Chandler	4-7	Mid-Late		Excellent	5-7 ft	Slightly Spreading	Wine, Orange
Chandler holds the distinction of being the world’s largest blueberry. The long ripening season will provide gardeners with a bounty of flavorful, fresh picked fruit for up to six weeks. Eaten by the handful or presented with a specialty dessert, Chandler will be a favorite.
Northern Highbush Toro	4-7	Mid		Mild Sweet	4-6 ft	Stocky Upright	Crimson Red, Yellow
Toro continues to amaze us with its easy to pick berries that hang like grapes from the stocky bush. While not as fast a grower as some of the other varieties, Toro has outstanding ornamental qualities. The flowers turn from hot pink to bright white and contrast nicely with the bronze colored spring foliage. Deep green summer foliage turns to the brightest of reds in the fall.
Northern Highbush Hardyblue	4-7	Mid		Very Sweet	4-6 ft	Upright	Bright Red
Hardyblue is an old established variety in the Pacific Northwest that is known for heavy crops of superior flavored, sweet berries. The dark blue fruit is perfect for muffins and pancakes. Hardyblue has a reputation for being adaptable to many soil types, including heavier clay soils. The dark red wood is striking in a winter landscape.
Northern Highbush Bluecrop	4-7	Mid		Sweet	4-6 ft	Upright Open	Red
Considered the best all around variety for adaptability, consistent yields, high quality fruit and disease resistance. There are other varieties with better ornamental value but none perform better in the garden. Bluecrop is perhaps the most widely planted variety in the U.S.
Northern Highbush Bluegold	4-7	Mid		Sweet	3-5 ft	Compact Globe	Yellow
Cold-hardy Bluegold is perfect for landscaping. Fall foliage and winter wood are a golden yellow, followed by bright-white blooms in the spring. The sky blue colored berries form large clusters that are easy to pick.
Northern Highbush Berkeley	5-7	Mid-Late		Mild	5-7 ft	Stocky Spreading	Yellow, Orange, Red
Berkeley is one of the most popular home garden varieties. This handsome, easy to grow bush is an excellent producer in mild climates. Bright yellow wood in the winter contrasts nicely with red wooded varieties. Avoid planting in colder exposed areas or areas prone to frost pockets.
Northern Highbush Rubel	4-7	Mid-Late		Sweet	4-6 ft	Upright	Fire Red
A true wild Highbush blueberry discovered in the early 1900’s, Rubel has remained popular due to its delectable full-flavored small berries, perfect for pies and muffins. As blueberries have gained attention due to their extremely high antioxidant levels, research has shown that Rubel scores higher than most others, truly the reigning “king” of health foods! Rubel is cold-hardy and a consistent producer.
Northern Highbush Legacy	5-8	Late		Robust	4-6 ft	Open Spreading	Crimson
This interesting release from the USDA Blueberry Research Station in New Jersey keeps many of its leaves through mild winters, and offers a very different look in the landscape. Foliage turns crimson in colder climates, but here on the West Coast the leaves stay green with lighter fall hues. Legacy is both a vigorous grower and heavy producer, rating as one of the best flavored varieties in USDA trials.
Northern Highbush Brigitta	4-7	Late		Sweet Tart	4-6 ft	Upright Open	Orange, Red, Burgundy
This easy to grow hybrid from Australia yields one of the highest quality berries available. The flavor strikes a perfect balance — sweet yet slightly tart. Brigitta berries possess an amazing shelf life. We have stored them for over a month in the refrigerator and they were still crisp and tasted great! The bush is a fast grower with deep green foliage and bronze tinted new growth. Plant alongside Bluecrop for best results.
Northern Highbush Jersey	4-7	Late		Sweet	6-8 ft	Upright	Orange Flame
One of the oldest and most widely grown of all varieties, Jersey is a favorite for home gardeners wanting an easy to grow bush that produces reliably heavy late season crops year after year. This bush tolerates a wide range of soil types, and the small to medium sized, sweet tasting fruit is a favorite for baking.
Northern Highbush Darrow	5-7	Late		Juicy Robust	4-6 ft	Upright	Orange, Red
Darrow boasts one of the largest berries of all cultivars, yielding fruit that will cover a quarter. The berries are slightly flat and light blue with a memorable robust flavor, making them well worth every gardener’s effort.
Northern Highbush Elliott	4-7	Very Late		Tangy	4-6 ft	Upright	Deep Red, Wine
With this variety, home gardeners can enjoy fresh berries clear through September. Bright burgundy colored wood accents the grey-green foliage and sky blue berries. The late bloom period that avoids most spring frosts and the typically heavy bud set warrants extra pruning, but the bountiful crops of larger fruit are worth the effort. The berry can be quite tart unless picked fully ripe.