Blueberry

This article is about the North American blueberry. For the Eurasian blueberry, see Bilberry. For other uses, see Blueberry (disambiguation).

Blueberry
Vaccinium caesariense
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Vaccinium
Section: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus
Rydb.
Species

See text

Blueberries showing various stages of maturation. IG = Immature Green, GP = Green Pink, BP = Blue Pink, and R = Ripe.

Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium.[1] Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush)—are all native to North America. The highbush varieties were introduced into Europe during the 1930s.[2]

Blueberries are usually prostrate shrubs that can vary in size from 10 centimeters (4 inches) to 4 meters (13 feet) in height. In commercial production of blueberries, the species with small, pea-size berries growing on low-level bushes are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the species with larger berries growing on taller, cultivated bushes are known as "highbush blueberries". Canada is the leading producer of lowbush blueberries, while the United States produces some 40% of the world's supply of highbush blueberries.

  1. ^ Lisa J. Rowland; Freddi A. Hammerschlag (2005). Richard E. Litz (ed.). Vaccinium spp. (8.1: Blueberry). In: Biotechnology of Fruit and Nut Crops: Volume 29 of Biotechnology in Agriculture Series. CABI. ISBN 0-85199-066-5. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference nauman1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).