Blueray blueberries

The Blueray Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Blueray’) is a northern Highbush blueberry variety. This specific variety was developed by Michigan State University in the late 1970s.

Blueray is an early-midseason blueberry variety that ripens a few days before Bluecrop. The Blueray Blueberry is a new hybrid berry that was created by crossing two existing varieties of blueberries. This new berry has many benefits over its predecessors, including a higher concentration of antioxidants and a more vibrant flavor. The blueray blueberry is also larger and firmer than other blueberries. The dark-blue berries, with sweet, high-quality flavor, make Blueray an excellent choice for the home gardener.

The bush is vigorous, productive, and winter-hardy. It grows to a height of 4–6 feet. Blueray is widely planted throughout the Northeast and Midwest. The foliage has beautiful pink touches early as the leaves emerge and then fantastic fall color. This is one edible shrub that deserves to be added to the ornamental garden.

Blueray performs particularly well in areas with hot summers or very cold winters, and produces high quality berries with outstanding dessert flavor.

In the spring, Blueray blueberry bushes have cute bell-shaped blossoms that turn a rosy shade of pink before turning white and then becoming juicy, delicious berries. Blueray blueberries will be ready to harvest midseason, typically in July.

These blueberries are firm with a very sweet, high-quality flavor, perfect addition to baked goods and desserts.
Blueray blueberries

Northern Highbush Blueberry

Northern Highbush Blueberry
The main cultivated species of blueberry , its native range is sunny, acidic, swampy areas of eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Wisconsin and south to northern Georgia.

Commercial cultivars of highbush blueberry may also have been products of hybridizations with V. australe, especially In southern regions; also with V. lamrckii and V. brittonii in the north; and with V. arkansanum, V. simulatum and V. marianum in the south.

Michigan the leader in highbush blueberry production in United States, grow over 20 cultivars, with ‘Jersey’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Elliot’ and ‘Rubel’ making up the four.

The top selling cultivars were ‘Duke’, ‘Sierra’, ‘Nelson’, ‘Bluegold’, ‘Toro’, and ‘Sunrise’.

‘Weymouth’ is grown widely in New Jersey.

The breeding of northern highbush blueberries began in 1911, when Fredrick Coville of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) crossed two blueberry plants selected from the wild in New Hampshire.

On plant, called ‘Brooks’, was V. corymbosum. It was high yielding and produced berries that were unusually large (up to 12 mm in diameter and unusually light blue in color.
Northern Highbush Blueberry

Northern highbush Blueberry (V. corymbosum L.)

Northern highbush Blueberry (V. corymbosum L.)
There are three commercially blueberry species are recognized, along with two interspecific hybrids:
1. Northern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L.).
2. Rabbiteye blueberry (V. ashei Reade).
3. Lowbush blueberry (V. angustifolium Air, and V. myrtilloides Michx)
4. Southern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum hybrids with V. darrowi, V. asheim, and other southern Vaccinium species).
5. Half-high hogbush bleuebrry (V. corymbosum x V. angustifolium).

Northern highbush Blueberry (V. corymbosum L.)
The main cultivated species of blueberry, its native range is sunny acidic, swampy areas of eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Wisconsin and south to northern Georgia.

Commercial cultivars of highbush blueberry may also have been products of hybridizations owth V. australe, especially in southern regions; also with V. lamarckii and V. brittonii in the north; and with V. arkansanum, V. simulatum, and V. marianum in the south.

Michigan, the leader in highbush blueberry production in the United States grows over 20 cultivars, with ‘Jersey’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Elliot’, and ‘Rubel’ making up the top four.
Northern highbush Blueberry (V. corymbosum L.)