Blueberry Bush Identification

Leaves

• Both highbush and lowbush blueberry plants feature glossy, oval shaped leaves, that alternate from one side of the branch to the other. High bush leaves are slightly larger, measuring about 1 1/2 inches longer; lowbush leaves measure about 1 inch. Lowbush leaves turn from a reddish-green color in spring to a dark greenish-blue color in summer to a deep maroon color in fall. Highbush leaves alternate between a dark, rich green color in the summer to a deep, bright red color in the fall. Blueberry bushes are deciduous plants that lose their leaves during winter, but new foliage buds in mid-spring.

Flowers

• Flowers on both highbrush and lowbrush blueberry bushes bloom in mid-spring to early summer. The flowers are small, greenish-white or pinkish-white in color. The petals of the flowers lean in, to form a hanging urn or bell-like shape. The flowers are shaped this way to protect the fruit inside as it begins to grow.

Fruit

• Both lowbush and highbush plants produce a blueberry fruit from the flowers. The fruit is circular in shape, and about 1/4 to 1/2 inch across. The berries range in color from red, purple, blue and blackish-blue. While still on the plant, they have a powdery appearance that wipes away when touched or rubbed, although the fruit remains dull, not shiny. Blueberries are edible and can taste anywhere from sweet to sour, based on how ripe the fruit is.

Bush Shape

• A lowbrush blueberry bush is a low, straggly looking plant that measures 6 inches to 2 feet both tall and wide. The plant has multiple stems and has slender red or green colored twigs that have many raised areas, and can be zigzagged. The lowbrush blueberry plant is more compact and the branches and twigs grow closely together and one top of each other.

  A highbrush blueberry bush grows any from 6 to 12 feet tall, although they are best pruned around 5 to 6 feet. The bush has multiple branches that emerge from the base and grow upward. The branches range in color from green to reddish-gray, with many raised areas on the branches.

Location

• According to the USDA, highbush blueberry plants are found in the eastern Canada and United States and growing to Texas. Highbush blueberry plants are also found in Washington and British Columbia. According to the USDA, lowbush blueberry plants are only found in eastern Canada and United States, growing as far west as Minnesota and Iowa.