Is Highbush Blueberry deer resistant?
Vaccinium corymbosum
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
About Highbush Blueberry
Needs genuinely acid soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5, and no amount of feeding compensates if the pH is wrong, which is the single most common reason blueberries fail. Plant two different varieties for better cropping. Birds and deer both take the fruit, so netting is not optional.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 4.5 to 5.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 59 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Deer-resistant alternatives to Highbush Blueberry
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Highbush Blueberry keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
Similar to Highbush Blueberry
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaZones 6–11Occasionally damaged
- Bloodtwig DogwoodCornus sanguineaZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Blue HollyIlex x meserveaeZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianumZones 5–8Occasionally damaged
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- Chinese LilacSyringa x chinensisZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
Protecting Highbush Blueberry
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Highbush Blueberry grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washingtonnative
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 32 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Highbush Blueberry belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Highbush Blueberry
- Is Highbush Blueberry deer resistant?
- Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Highbush Blueberry grow in?
- Highbush Blueberry is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Highbush Blueberry grow in shade?
- Yes. Highbush Blueberry tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Highbush Blueberry get?
- Mature height is roughly 72–144 in. Growth rate is moderate.