Wild Vs. Cultivated Blueberries

History and Geography

• All blueberries are part of the genus Vaccinium, which means they're related to more than 450 plants worldwide, including the cranberry, huckleberry and lingonberry. In the early 1900s, the wild highbush blueberry was domesticated for the commercial market. Today, highbush blueberries are cultivated by farmers for the fresh and processed berry markets. True wild blueberries -- lowbush blueberries -- only grow in the United States and Canada. According to the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension, more than 60,000 acres of wild blueberries grow in the southwest corner of the state.

Growth

• Highbush and lowbush blueberries are perennials, so they produce fruit each year after a period of winter dormancy. Lowbush blueberry plants that are managed, however, only produce fruit twice a year because the fields are mowed back once the harvest has concluded. The deep-blue berries grow on shrubs that don't have thorns or brambles, and both types prefer acidic soil. Though the plants thrive in cooler regions where rain is plentiful, a burst of warmth is needed to signal both of these plants to come into season. After the flower has bloomed, it generally takes about six weeks for the berry to form and fully ripen.

Harvest

• Flowers bloom at intervals, so blueberry bushes produce fruit for about two to three months. In warmer regions, such as Florida, commercially produced highbush blueberries are harvested in early spring, while in the Pacific Northwest of Washington and British Columbia, the dark berries are plucked from their bushes as late as October. Wild blueberries are harvested in late July or August in Maine, with the use of a type of hand rake or a mechanical machine. According to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, cultivated blueberries are harvested by hand -- not with a hand rake -- or with the use of a machine.

Nutritional Benefits

• Besides beings a super-sweet and healthy treat, both cultivated and wild blueberries are packed with plenty of nutritional benefits. The high-fiber berry is rich in antioxidants, which can ward off nasty free radicals that cause cell damage and hasten the aging process. According to the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension, wild blueberries have more antioxidants than their cultivated counterparts. But time and again, research indicates that blueberries are an excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, and that eating blueberries regularly can help protect against colon cancer and promote gastrointestinal health.