Varieties of Blueberry Plants

Highbush Varieties

• Highbush blueberries can grow to over six feet, and produce the large, deep-blue berries commonly found at the grocery store. Most can typically be grown in Zones 4 to 11, but check the tolerances for each variety, as they can vary. This variety is further divided into northern and southern types. Northern highbush blueberries grow well across the Midwest, northern United States and Canada, while their southern counterparts tend to thrive in the Gulf Coastal States and the upper south or middle states like Virginia or Kentucky.

  Northern highbush varieties include Early Blue, Duke, Berkley, Bluejay, Patriot, Spartan, Northland, Hardy Blue, Sierra, Bluecrop, Nelson, Darrow, Chandler, Rubel, Jersey and Elliot. Watch for O'Neal, Sharp Blue, Misty, Jubilee, Sunshine Blue and Southmoon when seeking the southern highbush varieties.

Half-Highbush Varieties

• Half-high blueberries are a cross between the highbush and lowbush shrubs. They grow only two to four feet tall, and are better adapted to extremely cold climates than are the highbush varieties. Half-highs are well suited to Zones 3 and 4 and northern areas of Zone 5. Polaris, North Country, Northblue, Northsky and Chippewa are common half-high varieties.

Lowbush Varieties

• Lowbush blueberries are short enough to be considered a ground cover. They grow to only eighteen inches high. They are hardy in Zones 3 to 6. When seeking this variety, you should look for Tophat, Burgundy and Brunswick.

Rabbiteye Varieties

• Rabbiteye blueberries are best suited to southern climates, and are more drought-tolerant than other varieties. At maturity they can be up to ten feet high, and are hardy in Zones 7 to 9. Look for Woodard, Tiffblue, Garden Blue, Delite, Brightblue, Climax, Sharpblue or Brightwell.