Different Wild Blueberries

Western Blueberry (vaccinium occidentale)

• Also known as mountain bog huckleberry, the blueberry leaves give a bluish cast. The berries are blue with a whitish coating; though small, they have an excellent flavor.

Lowbush Blueberry (vaccinium angustifolium)

• Known in Maine as the low sweet blueberry, this variety has smooth stems that vary from a tan to reddish color. Plant height varies from 4 to 15 inches, with smooth, dark leaves edged with tiny teeth. Blossoms range from white to pinkish-white in color, producing dark blue fruits covered with a waxy coating giving it a powdery appearance.

Oval Leaf Blueberry (vaccinium ovalifolium)

• Also known as Early Blueberry, this slender, spreading shrub grows to about 6 feet tall. The v. ovalifolium variety has grooved, yellowish-green to reddish branches, with alternating blunt ended, pale green leaves with smooth edges. Small pinkish flowers (about one-third inch) develop into purplish-black berries (about one-quarter to one-third inch) that appear gray to pale blue. Blueberries ripen as early as July, and have larger seeds than other blueberries.

Bog Blueberry (vaccinium uliginosun)

• The bog blueberry, also known as alpine blueberry, is the only species that grow in coastal bogs of the Northwest. Native to the United States, the plants most active growth is in spring and summer when dark green leaves and purple flowers appear. A deciduous plant--leaves fall off in the fall--it has a moderate lifespan, reaching 2 feet high.

Dwarf Blueberry (vaccinium caespitosum)

• Also called dwarf bilberry or dwarf huckleberry, its berries are less abundant than those of other species. A low-growing plant, the dwarf blueberry is used as an ornamental plant and forms an attractive ground cover.

Alaska Blueberry (vaccinium alaskaense)

• Found in open areas of Southwest Alaska, the Alaska blueberry grows to a height of 6 feet having reddish branches with dark blue to near black fruit. Ripening in late August to late September, Alaska wild blueberries are sweet and far superior to cultivated berries.