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Mid-Late Season
Standard Varieties
Berkeley: Late mid-season. Bush is tall, open, and spreading but tends to drop fruit. Flavor is only fair. Winter-hardiness is limited. Production can be inconsistent. Tends to be susceptible to fungus diseases during wet seasons; also especially susceptible to some viral diseases.
Darrow: Very large fruit on vigorous, upright plants. Fruit is firm with excellent flavor, but can be slightly acidic.
Herbert: An older variety that is a favorite among home gardeners. Fruit is sweet and huge. Skin of the berry tends to tear when picked, however, which increases its susceptibility to fruit rots if not used quickly.
Rubel: A wild selection with small, firm fruit. Bush is erect and very productive. Flavor is fair. Plants are very stemmy during drought or if harvest is delayed. Has higher concentrations of antioxidants than larger-fruited varieties, so it is of even more interest for its health benefits than other blueberry varieties. Susceptible to stunt and resistant to red ringspot virus.
Recent Releases
Bonus: Large fruited. Not really a recent release, but very little testing has been done on this variety.
Brigitta: Upright, vigorous, cold-hardy bush with moderate productivity. Fruit is large, firm, and very light blue. Plant with other varieties to ensure good pollination. Clusters are loose and ripening concentrated. Excellent fruit quality and shelf life. Slow to "shut down" in the fall, increasing its susceptibility to winter injury, so don't fertilize after the early season. Resistant to anthracnose and mummy berry.
Chandler: Extremely large fruit ripens over a long harvest season, so this variety has good potential, especially for pick-your-own operations. Winter-hardiness is questionable.
Nelson: A vigorous, upright bush. Fruit is large, of size similar to that of Spartan, firm, and light blue with very good flavor. Initial tests show it to tolerate cold temperatures well. Test plot yields in New Jersey and Michigan have been high.
Ozarkblue: Very late flowering. Slow to produce new canes. Quality is similar to that of Bluecrop.
Sierra: A vigorous, upright, productive bush. Fruit is medium sized with good color and has excellent flavor and firmness. Because Sierra is an inter-specific hybrid of four species, its cold-hardiness is unknown.