Blueberries, huckleberries, and other shrubs that produce vibrant blue berries are coveted for their delicious fruits and ornamental value. These plants add a stunning pop of color and visual interest to gardens and landscapes. In this guide, we will explore some of the top plants with blue berries, tips for identifying them, key growing requirements, and how to incorporate them into your outdoor space.
An Overview of Notable Plants with Blue Berries
Many shrubs in the Ericaceae family produce edible blue or blue-black berries. Some of the most popular include
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Blueberries (Vaccinium) – This familiar shrub grows wild and is also widely cultivated. There are lowbush, highbush, and rabbiteye varieties The berries are small, round, and dusted with a waxy “bloom” coating that lends a light blue cast
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Huckleberries (Gaylussacia) – Closely related to blueberries, these wild shrubs yield smaller berries with a more intense blue-black color. There are over 10 huckleberry species native to North America.
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Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): This plant is related to the blueberry and makes lots of dark blue fruit. They prefer acidic, peaty soils.
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Chokeberries (Aronia) – Known for their mouth-puckering astringency when unripe, chokeberries develop dark purple-blue fruits in summer. They’re high in antioxidants.
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Elderberries (Sambucus): These big bushes or little trees have bunches of very small, dark blue-black berries. They have a long history of medicinal use.
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Serviceberries (Amelanchier) – Also called juneberries, serviceberries are multi-season plants that bloom early, produce edible blue-black summer berries, and showcase fiery fall foliage.
Key Identification Factors
When trying to identify shrubs with blue berries in the landscape, look for:
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Leaf shape – Blueberry leaves are oval with finely serrated edges. Huckleberry leaves are more elliptical with smooth margins.
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Biber and blueberry flowers look like urn-shaped bells and are white or pink. Huckleberries have narrow tubular red flowers.
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Blueberry and huckleberry fruits have a blossom end that is recessed and a light waxy covering. Elderberries and chokeberries don’t have the waxy bloom and their ends are rounder.
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Twig color – Blueberry twigs are green. Huckleberry twigs are brown to grey.
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Height and form – Lowbush blueberries and huckleberries grow 1-2 feet tall. Highbush blueberries reach 6-12 feet. Chokeberries grow in dense thickets.
Optimal Growing Conditions
For the best fruit production and plant health:
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Soil – Acidic soil with a pH between 4.5-5.5 is ideal. Blueberries thrive in sandy, peaty soils.
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Sun – Most blueberry plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Some do well in part shade.
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Water – These shrubs require evenly moist soil. Take care not to overwater.
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Temperature – Most blueberry varieties need a period of winter chill to set fruit buds. Protect from late spring frosts.
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Fertilizer – Use an acidic fertilizer formulated for blueberries. Avoid high nitrogen products.
How to Incorporate Blue Berry Shrubs into Your Landscape
Here are some tips for successfully using these plants:
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Plant in groups or clusters for best fruit set. Cross-pollination between different varieties will increase yields.
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Mix early, mid, and late season types to extend the harvest.
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Use as ornamental hedge plants, edible shrub borders, or foundation plants. Many have showy spring blooms and fall color.
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Interplant with evergreen groundcovers like bearberry to suppress weeds and maintain soil moisture.
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Grow in containers on decks, patios, or balconies for easy access. Make sure to provide adequate drainage.
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Prune regularly to remove old canes and maintain an open shape for sunlight penetration.
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Use bird netting to prevent loss of the ripe fruits to wildlife. Pick berries often once they start to ripen.
Incorporating shrubs with blue berries into gardens, edible landscapes, and naturalistic designs is a rewarding endeavor. Take note of identification features like leaf margins, twig color, and berry structure when selecting varieties. Provide acidic, moist, well-drained soil and sufficient sunlight for success. With the right growing conditions and care, these colorful plants will provide years of beauty and abundant harvests of delectable blue berries.
Soil testing, fertilizer and mulch Signs of iron chlorosis caused by high soil pH
Have your soil tested to determine pH.
Blueberries require a pH between 4. 0-5. 5. If the pH of the soil is over 5. 5, then the soil is not acidic enough for blueberries.
Before you plant, lower the pH of the soil by adding sulfur or sphagnum peat, which are both acidic. Sulfur is preferred, because the environmental consequences of sphagnum peat mining are becoming an increasing concern.
It is best to amend the pH with sulfur the fall before planting, because it takes several months for sulfur to change the soil pH. To do this, add elemental sulfur to the soil in the planting area.
Elemental sulfur is widely available in garden stores. It may be marketed as soil acidifier or as soil sulfur/sulphur. The amount of sulfur to apply depends on the soil pH and soil type. To determine how much to apply, follow the product label.
Since sulfur takes months to alter the pH, gardeners wishing to plant immediately may need to create an acidic planting medium to plant into. Adding sphagnum peat can serve this purpose if the original pH is between 5. 5-7. 0.
- In the spot where the blueberries will be planted, cover the top 6 to 8 inches of soil with 4 to 6 inches of sphagnum peat. To do this, dig up some soil in the planting area, add the peat, and then mix some soil back in so that the planting area is a mix of peat and soil. Please think about how peat mining might affect the environment.
- A soil with a pH closer to 7. 5 will need 5 to 6 inches less peat than a pH of 0 soil. 5-6. 0 (4-5 inches).
- Change the soil all over the planting area, not just where the plants will go. Since the roots will spread out, it’s important to change the soil in a 2- to 3-foot-wide strip so the roots can reach acidic soil.
Since these are general guidelines, and every soil responds differently to inputs, submit another soil sample from the planting area about 6 months after planting. This will show whether the soil has reached the correct pH, or of more amendment is needed.
As the soil settles and decomposes over the years, you will need to continue adding sulfur to the planting bed.
Continue to have your soil pH tested every year or two, and amend as needed.
Coffee grounds are not always acidic and should not be relied upon as a pH amendment for blueberries. It would take a very large amount of acidic coffee grounds to change the pH of the soil, and the results would not be accurate.
There may not be enough shoot growth or light green or red leaves in the summer if the soil pH is not in the right range of 4. 0 to 5. 0, or nitrogen is needed. Choose an organic acid fertilizer, such as one recommended for azaleas and rhododendrons.
Throughout the life of the plants, maintain a few inches of wood mulch around them.
Blueberry plants are widely available at local and online nurseries. Be certain the plants you buy are winter hardy to your USDA zone (zone 3 or 4 in Minnesota).
If buying plants locally, find potted plants that are at least two or three years old.
Quick facts about growing blueberries
- Blueberries need full sun.
- Blueberries require acidic soil.
- Plant two or more varieties for successful pollination.
- The first two to three years, the plants won’t bear much fruit.
- Harvest is bigger after 5 years.
- It takes blueberry plants 8 to 10 years to reach full size because they grow slowly.
- Each winter, prune out old, weak and dead wood.
Many blueberry varieties grown in the Upper Midwest were bred for this climate by the University of Minnesota, making them right at home in the Minnesota home garden. Blueberry leaves turn stunning shades of crimson and orange in autumn.
Blueberry plants grow slowly, and they may not seem to get much bigger from year to year. It takes a blueberry bush about 10 years to reach mature size, but this also means they will live a long, long time.
It will be 2 or 3 years before you start getting large harvests, but it is definitely worth the wait. The bushes are very attractive and will be a beautiful addition to your yard while you wait for fruit.
Make Your Blueberries Produce Like Crazy With These 10 Simple Steps
FAQ
What plant has berries that look like blueberries?
Blueberries are just one of a number of edible berries in the genus Vaccinium that share a resemblance to blueberries. Huckleberries, bilberries and deerberries are also vacciniums. Serviceberries are often nearby too.
What is the invasive plant with blue berries?
Porcelain Berry: An Unwanted Beauty. Don’t be fooled by the porcelain berry’s attractive grape-like foliage and bright blue berries. Behind that pretty face is an invasive and aggressive weed.
Are there any poisonous plants that look like blueberries?
Nightshade These small shiny black berries are one of the most dangerous look-alikes, resembling blueberries to the unobservant. There are several species of nightshade (Solanum spp. ).
What shrub has blue berries?
Northern Highbush Blueberry Bushes – Northern Highbush Blueberries are the most commonly cultivated blueberries.