Lowbush & Highbush Blueberries

Seed Mix: 5

Vaccinium angustifolium & Vaccinium corymbosum

“These plants are very important to wildlife: their berries are relished by songbirds, game birds, bears, and small mammals; the twigs and foliage are eaten by deer and rabbits. Because of their food value and spectacular red fall foliage, these shrubs are excellent for naturalized landscaping” (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center).

Blueberries may be planted alone and can self-pollinate. However, when cultivated in diverse pairings they yield more abundant and flavorful fruit – a testament to the importance of bio and genetic diversity. The Highbush and Lowbush varieties exist one above the other in nature occupying special niches in the surrounding ecology.

Solitary bee shelter

Hollow tree trunks provide an ideal refuge for pollinators such as solitary bees, as they provide the right temperature and comfort for pollinators to lay their eggs on a mixture of pollen, saliva and nectar that will serve as food when the eggs hatch. After laying the egg, a bee builds a partition separating each egg and provides them with food. It then repeats this process until the nest is filled with eggs and pollen. When it is finished, it seals the entrance with clay and saliva. These insects have a very short life cycle and, although they have a stinger, they show no defensive behavior, unlike domestic bees, so they are harmless if left undisturbed.

Further resources