Lowbush Blueberries

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Lowbush is a term used by plant breeders and growers to describe one of three groupings of cultivated blueberries. The other two groupings are Highbush and Rabbiteye.

Lowbush Blueberries are very small, generally about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) in size, but very sweet, with a powdery bloom on the skin.

The bushes grow only 4 to 16 inches (10 to 40 cm) tall. This makes them cold hardy, because their low height allows them to get extra protection by being covered with snow.

They have shiny, smooth leaves with toothy edges, and spread through rhizomes (underground shoots.) This allows them to form a concentrated ground cover where they grow in the wild. They don't, however, reproduce or spread as willingly under cultivation. Consequently, for the most part, these blueberry bushes are essentially managed wild crops rather than cultivated. In alternate years, they are often burned down to promote growth.

They are native to the northeastern US and eastern parts of Canada.

Lowbush Blueberries are used for processing, though in Quebec, Canada you will also find a small amount in fresh markets.

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Also called:
Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium lamarckii (Scientific Name)
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