Maine's Native Berry - Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Maine’s Native Berry

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Introduction

Maine’s lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) is native to northern New England and Atlantic Canada. In Maine, this crop is not planted but inhabits large fields on mountain tops and in glacial outwash plains which formed 10,000 years ago. Any given field can have as many as 1,500 genetically distinct wild blueberry plants that create a patchwork of berry flavor, shapes, and colors which is why many people refer to them as wild. Wild blueberries are grown in a two-year production cycle that alternates between a “prune year” and a “crop year.” Following the harvest in August, plants are pruned to the ground by mowing or burning. This makes the entire year after harvest, a vegetative year where stems, leaves, and buds develop. In the second year, plants bloom and produce blueberries. Wild blueberry farmers typically divide their acreage equally between the two cycles in order to harvest a crop every year.

blueberry field with dirt road and a prune field on one side and crop field on the wither (showing the difference in height and color). — Blueberry production cycles: crop (left) and prune (right). Photo: Jennifer D’Appollonio

**Maine Vaccinium Blueberry Species**

All blueberries and cranberries are in the genus Vaccinium and heath plant family, Ericaceae. While we generally refer to the commercial production of wild blueberries to be Vaccinium angustifolium, there are several species of wild, lowbush, blueberries found in Maine fields. The most abundant wild blueberry in our commercial fields is the low-sweet, Vaccinium angustifolium.

The huckleberry east of the Mississippi is the black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata and is a weed in wild blueberry fields. In the US West, several blueberry types of Vaccinium species are referred to as huckleberries, but none of them occur in Maine. Myrtillus is the species name of the European bilberry, and except for a small disjunct population the Rockies probably brought by European settlers, does not occur in North America.

Type	Species	Variety	Common Name	Height	Characteristics
Lowbush	V. angustifolium	various	Low Sweet	4-15”	Smooth, dark green leaves. Bell-shaped white or pink blossoms. Waxy fruit creating light powder-blue berry color.
Lowbush	V. angustifolium	nigrum	Black, Low Sweet	4-15”	Same as Low Sweet, except the black fruit is a result of less wax coating on the berries. Berries tend to be sweeter.
Lowbush	V. myrtilloides	various	Sour Top	6-24”	Hairy, light green-white leaves and stems Bell-shaped greenish-white blossoms. Berries are smaller, less sweet and bright blue with waxy coating. More cold tolerant and later blooming than low sweet.
Highbush	V. corymbosum	various	Highbush	Up to 6’	Tall tree-like shrubs, naturally found in bog forests of eastern North America. This species has been bred for commercial and homestead production. Large light-blue berries.
Half-high	V. angustifolium x V. corymbosum	various	Half-high	20-60″	Occurs naturally in ME especially near lakes and ponds, but many home gardens contain varieties produced by the University of Minnesota breeding program.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Our wild blueberry team provides research-based knowledge for farmers. We are a group of extension specialists and researchers who do field and lab studies directly with growers on topics that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of Maine farms. We work with graduate students, technicians, and other researchers in the US and Canada. We have a strong relationship with the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine industry group. There are 38,000 acres of commercial wild blueberry in Maine, managed by 485 farmers.

Get Involved!

Dr. Calderwood and her team organize several on-farm field days throughout the growing season and conferences over the winter.

Check out our Events Page to join us!

Growing Wild Blueberries at Home

Wild blueberries are best transplanted as sod. Growing wild blueberries from seed is easy in a planter but not recommended for landscapes at this time. Wild blueberry is slower growing than other plants and will be easily out-competed by weeds. Sod arrives with a fully intact, established root system that has a better chance of survival. Look for a sod retailer on our Marketplace page. If you decide to plant wild blueberry seed, make sure it is planted in mulch or another water holding material. Seed will dry out very quickly.

Click here for details on growing wild blueberries at home!

Information in these publications is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.