These are blueberries right?

The discussion here now has me wondering if it’s actually huckleberries growing that tall on that mountain I mentioned. All I know is we’ve picked many a gallon of them and they’re good :slight_smile:

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wdingus…probably wild blueberries…either rabbiteye or northern highbush…

although I have heard of huckleberries reaching great height on the left coast.

TN/KY/NC is blessed to have a lot of good native plants around if you know where to look.

I agree the wild ones are better than cultivated.

By the way, ate a couple “Premire” blueberries today…and a couple from my “Aurora” bush…which still has lots of green berries on it.

45 years ago, I found a wild blueberry bush with 1/2 inch diameter fruit growing near the creek behind my house. There were dozens of other blueberries in that area, but none were more than 1/4 inch diameter. I went back in winter and moved the plant to my parent’s house where it lived about 10 years. The bush was very large and well developed when I found it in the woods. It was probably between 20 and 50 years old at the time. If I had not dug it up, it would probably still be growing there producing a few gallons of berries every year.

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Too bad you didn’t root cuttings…it might have been a “Blue Ridge” type blueberry.

It was growing in Northeast Alabama near the town of Rainsville. I don’t know the species common in the area but suspect it was either southern highbush or rabbiteye. I could easily go back to the area and find out what species from the plants living there now. I could probably even find the hole I dug to get the plant.

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Maybe you left a piece of root that re-generated into a plant?
Doubtful, but you never know.
All the commercial cultivars had parents or grandparents that were “wild” blueberries at some point. I’ve noticed rabbiteye often set fruit here, despite supposedly needing cross pollination…so I think there are some of that gene pool in the wild in some parts of Kentucky.

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From my perspective @matthew @marknmt they look like genetically unique wild blueberries. Could you post more pictures with the stem and leaves? Some wild plants have extra seeds to spread faster. Genetically unique wild species adapt to what benefits them most. From natures perspective those genetic upgrades make a great deal of sense. There are natural crosses between species if they are close.

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Sure, I marked the main stems with that green twist tie. I can always take more pics if it helps. Thanks!

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Im using my smart phone so i cant see the pictures real well. The leaves dont look quite right but my suspicion was they are a wild variety called oval leaf blueberries similar to those found in parts of the rocky mountains. Oval leaf are sweet blueberries and dark like those in color. Dark huckleberries are sour in taste unlike the dark blueberries. Red or black huckleberries are usually common in the same areas. I have a theory they are companions to pine trees. My idea is that pine acidify the soil over ma y years and both huckleberry and blueberry thrive in tbose areas. Kansas is very alkaline soil but with a few exceptions which are ancient homesteads where large numbers of pines were grown and used as wind breaks , the soil is highly acidic in those areas and perfect for growing blueberries.compare yours to those in this video. This guy actually knows what hes talking about on the video and his leathered face tells me he truly is outside a great deal and does eat the berries and knows the difference.

https://youtu.be/5ulXILTX1W4 .

Depending on the region if your in moutain country which i suspect by the leaves the leaves turn skinny and fern like https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0dJEH4K9afE

My suspicion is your blueberry is an oval leaf. The leaves elongate and yellow more in higher elevation. https://youtu.be/LU5NNQnHxmQ

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