Blueberry planting zones

Which blueberry for your region

Blueberries come in four groups, and winter decides between them. University of Minnesota Extension grows half-high and hardy highbush varieties in zones 3 and 4, among them ‘Chippewa’, ‘Northblue’, ‘Northcountry’, ‘Northsky’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Polaris’, ‘St. Cloud’ and ‘Superior’. Penn State Extension says most highbush blueberries need about 750 hours of chilling, which is why they stop at the warm end of the type table above.

In the South the choice turns the other way. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center says rabbiteye blueberries are adapted to all of South Carolina except the mountains, and that chilling there runs from 1,000 to 1,200 hours in the upper Piedmont to 400 to 600 on the coast. It lists rabbiteyes with their chill hours: ‘Brightwell’ 400, ‘Climax’ and ‘Vernon’ 450, ‘Alapaha’ 450 to 500, ‘Austin’ 500, ‘Titan’ 500 to 550, ‘Premier’ 550, ‘Powderblue’ 600 and ‘Tifblue’ 650; and southern highbush: ‘Georgia Dawn’ 300 to 400, ‘Palmetto’ 350 to 450, ‘Rebel’ 400 to 450, ‘Suziblue’ 400 or less and ‘Camellia’ 500.

NC State Extension splits North Carolina three ways: highbush (‘Duke’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Jersey’) in the mountains above 2,500 feet, rabbiteye and southern highbush in the Piedmont and on drier upland soils, and southern highbush (‘O’Neal’, ‘New Hanover’, ‘Legacy’) or highbush on the low, high-organic soils of the Coastal Plain. It says only highbush reliably survives the mountain winters, so rabbiteyes are not grown there.

UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions grows rabbiteye blueberries where winters are as cold as Ocala or colder, and southern highbush from south of Ocala to north of Sebring. The University of Arkansas places northern highbush in the upper South and north, rabbiteye from the mid-South southward and southern highbush in the upper South and southward.

Soil pH: the part to get right first

Every source here starts with the soil. University of Minnesota Extension wants a pH of 4.0 to 5.0, University of Illinois Extension 4.8 to 5.2, Penn State 4.5 to 5.0 and the University of Arkansas 4.8 to 5.4; UF/IFAS says 4 to 5.5. Test before you plant.

To lower it, Minnesota and Penn State work sulfur into the soil in the fall before planting, the amount set by the product label or the soil test, or mix in 4 to 6 inches of sphagnum peat (Minnesota). Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says sulfur reacts slowly and should go in a year before planting. Clemson works it in at least three months ahead.

Iowa State says not to use aluminum sulfate, because large amounts can be toxic to blueberry plants. Minnesota says coffee grounds are not a reliable way to lower pH.

Know when to give up on a spot. Clemson says that if the pH is above 6.0, pick another site; Illinois says soils up to about 6.0 can be brought down with sulfur. NC State applies sulfur where the pH is above 5.3 for rabbiteye or 5.0 for highbush. Clemson also warns that on Piedmont soils the pH should stay above 5.0.

Yellow, mottled young leaves are the usual sign the pH has crept up. Illinois says that iron chlorosis in blueberries usually means the soil pH is too high, making the iron in the soil unavailable to the plant, and says to check the pH every one or two years.

Planting

None of the sources ties blueberry planting to a freeze date, so the table above gives your zone’s freeze dates and moves none of them. Minnesota plants bare-root blueberries in early spring. NC State plants bare-root plants in late winter, February or March, as soon as the soil can be worked, and says fall planting in November and December has worked on sandy soils in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Clemson plants bare-root bushes in late winter and potted ones in fall on sandy soils. UF/IFAS plants in winter.

Plant two or more varieties. Minnesota says so for the North, Clemson says rabbiteyes need two or more varieties to cross-pollinate, and UF/IFAS says to plant varieties of the same type together. Clemson says southern highbush can set fruit alone but crops better with a partner.

Minnesota spaces bushes 3 feet apart; NC State sets highbush 4 to 5 feet apart in the row and rabbiteye 5 to 6. Illinois mixes a bushel of sphagnum moss into the soil from each planting hole and sets the plant at the depth it grew in the nursery, not deeper.

Pick off the flowers for the first two years. Minnesota, Illinois and Clemson all say so, so the plant puts its strength into roots and shoots rather than fruit.

Mulch and water. Penn State mulches 4 inches deep; NC State says pine bark, chips or sawdust suit blueberries better than other mulches, and that irrigation is essential the year of planting. Illinois says about an inch of water a week is enough.

Pruning

Prune while the bush is dormant. Minnesota prunes every year in early spring before growth starts, usually March, and Clemson in late winter. Illinois says pruning is generally not needed until the third year.

Blueberries fruit on wood that grew the year before (Minnesota). On a mature bush, Minnesota keeps four to six older stems and one or two new shoots each year, removing the oldest stems at the base. Illinois takes out dead, injured and short, stubby branches near the ground, and old stems of low vigor.

UF/IFAS prunes southern highbush right after harvest, taking off the top quarter to third of the bush, and renews old canes in late winter. NC State cuts back over-tall rabbiteye shoots to make them branch.

Harvest

Minnesota picks when the berries are completely blue and springy when gently squeezed, and says one bush ripens its fruit over a couple of weeks. NC State says highbush varieties begin ripening in mid-May on the southeastern Coastal Plain and in early July in the mountains, and rabbiteyes in mid-June on the coast.

NC State and Clemson pick highbush and southern highbush every 5 to 7 days, and rabbiteyes about every 10, since rabbiteye flavor improves when they are picked less often. NC State says a mature highbush or rabbiteye bush can give more than 10 pounds a year.

Common problems

Birds come first. NC State says they can take a whole crop from a small planting, and Clemson and NC State both say netting over the bushes while the fruit ripens is the only practical control.

Minnesota names spotted wing drosophila, Japanese beetles, and rabbits and deer, which it keeps off with chicken wire. Clemson lists cranberry fruitworm, stem borers, Japanese beetles and yellownecked caterpillars.

Drainage matters as much as pests. NC State calls drainage the most important consideration when choosing a site, and says to avoid low spots where water stands.

Common mistakes

• Planting before testing the soil. Every source here asks for a pH of about 4 to 5.5.
• Adding sulfur at planting time. Iowa State says it works slowly and belongs in the soil a year ahead.
• Using aluminum sulfate to acidify. Iowa State says large amounts can be toxic to blueberry plants.
• Planting one variety. Minnesota and Clemson plant at least two.
• Letting a young bush fruit. Minnesota, Illinois and Clemson remove the flowers for two years.
• Planting highbush in the Deep South or rabbiteye in the mountains. Clemson and NC State match the type to the region.

We found no Texas A&M or Louisiana source on blueberries that we read for this page. The Southern advice here is Clemson’s, NC State’s, UF/IFAS’s and the University of Arkansas’s.

Questions

What soil pH do blueberries need?

Acidic. University of Minnesota Extension wants 4.0 to 5.0, University of Illinois Extension 4.8 to 5.2, Penn State 4.5 to 5.0 and UF/IFAS 4 to 5.5. Test the soil before you plant.

What is the difference between highbush and rabbiteye blueberries?

Winter. Penn State says most highbush blueberries need about 750 hours of chilling; Clemson lists rabbiteyes at 400 to 650 hours and says they suit South Carolina except the mountains. NC State grows highbush in its mountains and rabbiteye in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Do I need two blueberry bushes?

Yes, for a good crop. University of Minnesota Extension and Clemson plant two or more varieties, and UF/IFAS plants varieties of the same type together so they cross-pollinate.

How do I lower my soil pH for blueberries?

With sulfur, worked in well ahead of planting: Iowa State says a year before, because it reacts slowly. University of Minnesota Extension also mixes in sphagnum peat. Iowa State says not to use aluminum sulfate.

How do I keep birds off my blueberries?

Net them. Clemson and NC State both say netting over the bushes while the fruit ripens is the only practical control.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

• University of Minnesota Extension, Growing blueberries in the home garden . Written for: Minnesota (USDA zones 3a–5a).
• Penn State Extension, Site Selection and Preparation for Home Blueberry Plantings (Updated March 31, 2026). Written for: Pennsylvania (USDA zones 5b–8a).
• University of Illinois Extension, Growing and Caring for Blueberries . Written for: Illinois (USDA zones 5a–7a).
• University of Illinois Extension, Pruning Blueberries . Written for: Illinois (USDA zones 5a–7a).
• Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, How do I lower the soil pH for blueberries? . Written for: Iowa (USDA zones 4b–6a).
• Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, Blueberry (Updated March 28, 2023). Written for: South Carolina (USDA zones 8a–9b).
• NC State Extension, Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden (Reviewed/Revised February 12, 2024). Written for: North Carolina (USDA zones 6b–9a).
• UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Blueberries (Accessed October 2026). Written for: Florida (USDA zones 8b–11b).
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Berries (Home Garden) . Written for: Arkansas (USDA zones 7a–8b).

How we write our guides

Published October 28, 2026