"Highbush blueberry is in the Ericaceae (heath) family and native to eastern North America. It can grow 8 to 15 feet tall. It is an upright, multi-stemmed, slow-growing deciduous shrub found naturally in bogs, swamps, and high elevation forests. It is planted for its edible fruit and beautiful fall color. 

"Although blueberries are self fertile, planting multiple cultivars that bloom at the same time will lead to larger berries and a higher yield. Extend your harvest by planting early, mid-, and late-season blueberry varieties, which will make the fruit season run from June to mid-September. When planting and the year after, remove all flowers so that the shrub can focus on root and shoot growth. The third year after planting you can prune in the late winter to remove dead wood and maintain the shape of the shrub. 

"Blueberries require a lower soil pH than many other small-fruit crops and other plants. Therefore, consider grouping them with other acid-loving plants such as hollies, azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias. Before planting, take a soil test. The ideal pH for highbush blueberry is 5.0. Little annual attention is required, except for occasional pruning.

"Use highbush blueberry as a hedge or mass planting in edible, pollinator, butterfly, children’s, or rain gardens."  (North Carolina Extension)

Faunal Associations:

Mason bee pollinating the highbush blueberry. (Gallagher)

Works Cited

Cover

1. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146498

Faunal Associations

• "Mason Bee - Osmia species on Highbush Blueberry - Vaccinium corymbosum, Leesylvania State Park, Woodbridge, Virginia, March 30, 2021" by Judy Gallagher, 30 March 2021, CC BY 2.0

North carolina Extension description:  Vaccinium Corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry, Smooth Highbush Blueberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/vaccinium-corymbosum/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.