The Best Blueberry Bushes for Michigan

Blueray

• Blueray blueberry bushes produce berries from early to mid season. This is a hardy bush that will do well if there is a late frost. This is a good variety especially if you like to eat fresh blueberries. Plant blueray blueberry bushes if you live in the southern portions of Michigan for best results. Look for clusters of deep, blue berries at harvest time. This variety of blueberry will grow from 4 to 6 feet tall so keep that in mind when planting the new canes. Plant at least three blueray blueberry bushes together to promote cross pollination, but make sure to leave about 6 feet in between each plant. These berries are good for eating right off the branch, freezing, baking and preserving, making it a popular choice for the home grower.

Northland

• Northland blueberry bushes are the most cold hardy variety that is ready for picking mid-season. This is a good variety to choose especially for those living in the northern areas of Michigan. This is easy to grow berry with high yields and very sweet flavor. Northland blueberry bushes do require a lot of pruning to keep the plant a reasonable size. The berries of the northland bush are a little softer than other blueberries. While this is a self-pollinating blueberry bush, it does help to have more than one nearby to aid in pollination and fruit production.

Bluecrop

• Bluecrop blueberries have been a Michigan favorite for over two decades. Bluecrop produces a high yield of berries each year with the proper care. Bluecrop blueberry bushes grow well especially in the southern parts of Michigan. These large blueberries are not as deep a blue color as other varieties are not quite as sweet, which makes them good for baking and preserving. It produces high quality, disease resistant berries, which makes it good for the home grower. Expect about 10 to 15 gallons of berries from each bluecrop blueberry bush during the long fruit producing season.