Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

The bell-shaped blossoms of the Highbush Blueberry are blooming in my garden.  This will be the first year of abundant blueberries. I planted two plants last year.

The plant is self-pollinating, but increases fruit-set  and the berries are earlier and has more seeds, if there are two to cross-pollinate.

This plant is a native and occurs naturally throughout Eastern North America. It’s natural habitat is in wet areas, in and around marshes, swamps and lakes. But it also occurs in drier areas like dunes, barrier beaches, rocky hillsides, oak woods and pine woods.

All this means that the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia is a natural habitat. Here we have wet areas around all the rivers, creeks and streams. And we have drier areas in the wooded rolling Piedmont area.

The plant is not tolerant of shade but likes a sunny open spot. This means if you look for naturally occurring plants in natural places, that the plant will be found in open sunny places along watercourses or open meadows or woodland edges.

Bees are the chief pollinators. The little bell-shaped flowers are short and allow insects with short tongues to easily access the nectar.

I doubt I will get very many berries from my plants as the songbirds, game birds  and mammals love them.  I just hope for a small handful.

The Relationship Between Birds, Berries and Fruit

Spring Blooming Native Plants of Philadelphia