Edible Landscaping; The Ornamental Features of Blueberry Bushes in the Landscape

Blueberry bushes can double as ornamentals while being grown as a food source. Here is a look at the ornamental features of Blueberry bushes in the landscape. With edible landscaping and green living on the rise, plants that can double as ornamental and edible will become popular. In this article, I am going to focus on the ornamental landscape attributes of high bush blueberry bushes and on how to maximize the blueberry bushes in the landscape.

High bush varieties are the blueberry bushes most often grown in the landscape or for fruit. These will mature at anywhere between five to eight feet tall and wide, and can sometimes exceed that depending on variety. With a little basic pruning, they can be kept within the desired height should the plants get out of hand. Blueberry bushes are slow growing, growing about a half foot a year on mature wood. The plants tend to be multi-stemmed and will send up new shoots from the base quite often.

Blueberry bushes provide accent to the landscape during all four seasons of the year in addition to their delicious fruit. The ornamental qualities of blueberry bushes in the landscape are often overlooked. In order to maximize their ornamental performance in the landscape, let's take a look at the features of blueberry bushes in each season.

Ornamental features in spring: Blueberry bushes bloom in early spring. The flower display is quite impressive for a plant known more for fruit and food value than ornamental value. The flowers form in clusters of tiny, pink-tinged white bells on the twigs of the blueberry bushes. The flowers feature well in the landscape, although their texture is more delicate as opposed to being showy. The flowers last for a couple weeks and then drop. As the flowers drop, the leaves begin to come out. The leaves add a nice texture as well as a rich shade of green to the landscape.

Ornamental features in summer: In summer, their leaves become a deep, rich green with a shiny texture. As the green fruit grows and ripens to blue, the fruit will add interest to the landscape. Blueberry bushes are more of a landscape backdrop in summer as opposed to being a focal point of the landscape. Netting is often needed to keep the birds off of the blueberry bushes. The netting does not show too bad, but does detract slightly from the landscape. Everybody knows that the slight drawback of seeing the netting in the landscape is worth the trouble for the delicious fruit.

Ornamental features in fall: In the fall, Blueberry bushes will give Burning Bush a serious run for its money in the landscape. The leaves of the blueberry bushes go from green to a deep dark red. As autumn progresses, the red color will brighten and you will see some bright orange in the foliage. The leaves remain on the bush a good portion of the fall; you usually get several weeks of outstanding fall color in the landscape from your blueberry bushes.

Ornamental features in winter: In Winter Blueberry bushes display red color in their twigs and buds. Although the color is not as prominent as in a red twig dogwood, the color still does provide winter landscape interest. The color is enhanced when contrasted against the snow. The unique, contorted shapes of the stems of older blueberry bushes, as well as their distinct bark also give character to the winter landscape.

Blueberry bushes can handle pruning and can be pruned to shape should they start getting scraggly or grow in the wrong direction. That way, you can maintain an attractive landscape form while still getting good fruit crops.

Blueberry bushes can also serve another purpose in the landscape; if you are an avid bird-watcher, you can grow Blueberry bushes for the birds. The birds will enjoy the fruit and will find the bush a good place to build a nest.

Blueberry bushes can double as ornamentals while being grown as a food source. Blueberry bushes are a good investment and by planting them now, you will be ahead of the game as blueberry bushes are certain to become part of the future landscape.

Sources: personal observation and experience.

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