Fruits as Ornamentals

by Marvin Pritts

Blueberries are also an underutilized plant. The fruit is delicious, and the fall foliage can be spectacular. Breeders have crossed the highbush blueberry found in woods along the East Coast, with the lowbush blueberry of Maine, to create very cold-hardy, attractive "half-high" blueberries. These blueberries grow to about 3 or 4 ft., so can make excellent additions to the landscape. One can have blueberries of various heights ranging from 6- 8 ft. tall (Berkeley, Bluecrop, Blueray, Duke) to 4 - 6 ft. (Northland, Patriot) to 3 - 5 ft. (Northblue, Northcountry, St. Cloud) to less than 1 ft. (Brunswick). Blueberries grow well in partial sun, but the amount of fruit is proportional to the amount of light they receive. Blueberries, like azaleas and rhododendrons, require a low pH (acid) soil.

Highbush
Half-high
and Lowbush blueberries

Blueberries are one of nature's best sources of antioxidants.