How to Identify Blueberry Bushes

Blueberry plants can grow in many places, but only have ripe berries in the summer season. Without berries, they can be hard to identify. It is important to know how to identify blueberry plants if you are lost in the wilderness and need food, or if you are looking for natural areas to plant other berry bushes. There are a variety of different blueberry plants, and some may not look like others, so the best way to know if they are blueberry bushes is because of the area it is located and if there are berries ripening on the bush. Blueberries only grow in Eastern and North-Central America.

Open sunny area

Area near water

Gloves, if desired

Look for blueberry bushes in open, sunny areas, close to water. Blueberry bushes need constant water and they have shallow root systems, so they need open sunshine where it has access to water.

Search in areas where animals flock for food, since blueberry bushes are a staple in the diet of wildlife animals. Birds that live or flock to certain areas are good to follow since they live off of blueberry bushes as well.

Blooming blueberry bushes have small bell-shaped flowers that appear white or pale pink.

Look for red or yellow small leaves on blueberry bushes in the Fall season, and dark green to purplish green small leaves in the Summer season. The leaves are clumped together in bunches on these bushes and are firm. They have flat open-faced leaves. In certain regions, such as mountain ranges, blueberry bushes have long skinny light green leaves, almost like a fern.

Examine the bushes for the large, ripe, light blue-hued berries to identify them as blueberries. When very ripe, they can almost appear as smooth blackberries. The bushes grow close to the ground, starting within one foot to the ground, with branches that reach out not much higher, such as arms ranging from 1 to 3 feet outwards, holding leaves and berries.

Do not eat random berries from bushes unless you absolutely know they are blueberry bushes.