Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot' (Highbush Blueberry)

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot' is a cultivar of highbush blueberry, a bushy, upright shrub known and widely regarded for its tasty edible fruits, which are also prized by birds and wildlife. The 'Patriot' cultivar originates from a blueberry breeding program at the University of Maine, and is noted for its extreme cold-hardiness, huge individual berries, and its self-fertile nature (though cross-pollinatio with other early-season blueberries like 'Bluecrop' or 'Jersey' will increase yields). While other blueberry plants can suffer from late freezes and from not having multiple other blueberries planted nearby, 'Patriot' is an exception, performing well even through spring cold snaps and late freezes, and not only surviving but thriving in winter conditions as cold as Zone 3 (winter temps down to -40° F).

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot' grows slightly smaller than other highbush varieties, typicall reaching 3-5' tall and wide at maturity, but produces an abundance of the same white or pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers as other blueberries, attracting pollinators and butterflies through their spring flower window, with fruits maturing and ripening by late June/early July. Blueberry bushes like 'Patriot' make great additions to open yards as a source of free fruit, or as border and hedge plantings, where you can produce fruit en masse, and where fall colors of yellow and orange add multi-season interest. If utilizing blueberry bushes for fruit production, care should be taken to cover plants while fruit develops to avoid bird damage.