Blueberries are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also tasty, popular and healthy. Most of the world’s blueberries are grown in North America and several blueberry species are native to this continent. These deciduous perennial shrubs range in size from less than 1 foot to more than 13 feet tall and produce sweet, edible fruits in colors from light blue to black when ripe.

The popularity of blueberries has spread worldwide in recent years, especially to Europe and Australia. They are also being cultivated in South America, Africa and parts of Asia.

Though wild blueberries are now widely available and abundant, the fruit was not cultivated before the 20th century. Frank Coville, a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist, discovered that the plants thrive in acidic soil, opening the gate to modern blueberry production.

Today, the highbush blueberry has become the most widely cultivated blueberry. Highbush blueberries are grown extensively in Maine, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, California, North Carolina and other states. In addition to highbush, many acres of the native “lowbush” blueberry are also produced in Maine. The rabbiteye species, which tolerates higher temperatures, also grows well in the southern parts of the United States.