Mid-season
Standard Varieties
Bluecrop: Best mid-season variety presently available; bush is vigorous and upright, but canes tend to be slender and whippy. Fruit is medium in size and numerous with, good flavor. Variety has shown consistently high production and good winter hardiness; season tends to be prolonged. Berries appear to be ripe (completely blue) well before full sweetness is achieved, so they need to be picked 5 to 7 days after the full blue color is present. Resistant to shoestring virus and red ringspot virus, moderately resistant to mummy berry and powdery mildew. Very susceptible to anthracnose.
Elizabeth: Extremely flavorful, with very large berries. No longer commercially important because of inconsistent productivity, but of interest to home gardeners because of its excellent flavor.
Northland: Fruit is soft and of average quality , so it tends not to store well. Plants are bushy. Consistently productive. Resistant to mummy berry.
Recent Releases
Bluegold: Very productive and cold-hardy. Has a very bushy growth habit, however. Ripening is concentrated. Primary downside to variety is that the stem tends to remain on the fruit, or when removed, the skin tears.
Chpipewa: A cold-hardy release from Minnesota (half-high). Compact bushes with medium to large, light-blue, firm, sweet fruit. For trial in areas where cold tolerance is needed.
Legacy: Legacy has some V. darrowi (an evergreen blueberry native to Florida) in its background and holds its leaves through the winter, so its winter hardiness is suspect. However, its outstanding characteristic is extremely high yields due to a long harvest season while still having good flavor and quality. For trial only in mild or protected locations, or provide winter protection such as burlap. Resistant to anthracnose.
Puru: Purported to have excellent flavor and fruit quality. Upright, moderately vigorous bushes with light-blue, medium to large fruit. Winter-hardiness is uncertain.
Toro: A vigorous, upright bush that is consistently highly productive. Fruit is large with good color and flavor. Begins ripening with Bluecrop but has a concentrated ripening, and harvest can be completed in two pickings. Tolerates fluctuating winter temperatures well. Not very self-fertile, so it should be planted with another variety.
