The blueberries available in grocery stores differ significantly in color and size from the wild blueberries that can be picked in the forest. This is because they do not botanically come from the same or similar shrub species.
What types of blueberries are there?
The most important blueberry varieties are wild blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and cultivated blueberries such as Vaccinium Bluecrop, Pilot, Duke, Elizabeth, Patriot and Reka. Wild blueberries are smaller and more aromatic, while cultivated blueberries are higher yielding and larger.
The different types of blueberries on the market
The confusion about blueberry varieties that is sometimes caused by different fruit sizes is due to the difference between the wild blueberries that ripen in summer in this country and the cultivated blueberries. Nowadays you can rarely buy real wild blueberry plants in specialist garden supply stores. These were largely replaced by the stronger growing and much more vigorously fruiting cultivated blueberries, which come from American blueberry varieties and were created through breeding selection.
Growing wild blueberries in the garden
If you decide to grow the types of blueberries that occur naturally outdoors in this country, you should not initially expect a very large yield. Since the wild blueberry bushes only produce a few berries per plant at harvest time, an entire clearing often has to be grazed for a bowl full of ripe blueberries. If you still prefer the bushes, which only grow to around 40 centimeters high, because of the more aromatic fruits, you might want to take long walks to collect them in the wild. However, if the amount of yield is not that important to you, wild blueberries of the genus Vaccinium myrtillus are a good choice for easy-care greening of embankments and beds with acidic soil in your own garden.
The high-yielding varieties of cultivated blueberries
The first high-yield varieties for targeted cultivation of blueberries emerged through breeding and selection around the beginning of the 20th century in the USA. Since then, more than 100 cultivars have been developed worldwide, of which around 30 have been able to establish themselves permanently on the market. Vaccinium Bluecrop is considered the world's most important variety due to its cold hardiness, drought resistance and resistance to diseases and pests. In addition, the following varieties also deliver excellent harvest results in professional agricultural cultivation and in private gardens:
- Pilot
- Duke
- Elizabeth
- Patriot
- Reka
Tips & Tricks
You can extend the harvest time of the already staggered blueberries even further if you plant early, mid-early and late varieties mixed in your garden.
