The Order of the Ripening of Blueberries
With blueberries (Vaccinium) growing primarily between April and October in the U.S. and from October through April in the Southern Hemisphere, you can eat blueberries year round. You won't be able to duplicate that abundance in your own garden, but you can get more berries by planting at least two, if not three ripening types. Plant all blueberries in full sun and give them ample water, keeping them moist at all times.
Ripening by Hardiness Zones
The same blueberry varieties may ripen at different times depending on where you live. For example, highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8, but Mark Gaskell, a Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, found that bushes in the California Central Coast ripened on April 6 in 2000 while the bushes further inland began ripening on May 6.
Early Season Berries
Both Northern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) and hybrid Southern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium darrowii x Vaccinium corymbosum) ripen earlier than the rabbiteye blueberry varieties (Vaccinium ashei), which grow in USDA zones 7 through 9. Some of the earliest ripening highbush varieties, which ripen in April and May, include "Earliblue," "Bluetta" and "Misty." Early ripening hybrid half-high varieties (Vaccinium angustifolium) include "Polaris" and "St. Cloud."
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council cites July 4 as the peak of blueberry season. At this time, midseason blueberries of all varieties begin to ripen. Midseason highbush cultivars include "Berkeley" and "Blueray;" midseason rabbiteye berries include "Bluebelle" and "Southland;" and midseason half-high types include "Chippewa" and "Tophat."
Late Season Types
There are no rabbiteye late season blueberries and only a few half-high types that ripen later in the midseason, such as "Northsky" and "Northblue." Late season berries generally ripen in August and September, but according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, some varieties will ripen as late as October and November in the Midwest and West. Some late season Northern highbush cultivars include "Darrow," "Elliott," and "Legacy." "Pink Lemonade" is one of a few mid-to-late Southern highbush cultivars.
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Blueberries -- Bright Bold Beautiful
- The New Sunset Western Garden Book; Kathleen Norris Brenzel, Editor
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Vaccinium Corymbosum
- University of California Cooperative Extension: Extended Season Fresh Market Blueberry Production
- Floridata: Vaccinium Ashei
- University of California Cooperative Extension: Growing Blueberries on the North Coast
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Blueberry Festivals 2013
Susan Lundman began writing about her passions of cooking, gardening, entertaining and recreation after working for a nonprofit agency, writing grants and researching child development issues. She has written professionally for six years since then. Lundman received her M.A. from Stanford University.