5 

Blueberry 'Duke'

5-Gallon

Height: 4-6 feet tall.
Spread: 3-4 feet.
Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
Hardiness Zone: 4a.
Other Names: Vaccinium corymbosum 'Duke'

Description:
An early-season northern highbush blueberry variety prized for its high yields, firm berries, and excellent sweet-tart flavor. 'Duke' produces large, light blue berries with a crisp texture, making them perfect for fresh eating and baking. It is a vigorous grower, cold-hardy, and an excellent choice for home gardens and edible landscapes.

Edible Qualities:
Blueberry 'Duke' is known for its firm, flavorful berries with a well-balanced sweetness and slight tartness. The fruit holds its quality well after harvesting and is ideal for both fresh consumption and storage.


The fruit is most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Baking
- Smoothies
- Preserves
- Freezing

Features & Attributes:
Blueberry 'Duke' showcases attractive, dark green foliage throughout the growing season, turning shades of orange and red in the fall. In early spring, it produces delicate white, bell-shaped flowers that attract pollinators. Its large, light blue berries ripen in early summer, offering one of the first harvests of the season.
This is a deciduous shrub with an upright, compact growth habit. It is self-pollinating but benefits from being planted near another blueberry variety for increased yields.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Blueberry 'Duke' is suitable for the following landscape applications:
- Edible Hedges
- Container Growing
- Home Gardens

Planting & Growing:
Blueberry 'Duke' will grow to be about 4-6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3-4 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1-2 feet from the ground. It grows at a medium rate and, under ideal conditions, can be expected to live for 30 years or more.

This shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained, acidic soil. It requires consistent moisture, particularly during fruit development, and benefits from an annual layer of mulch to retain soil moisture and regulate temperature. Light pruning after fruiting helps maintain its shape and productivity.

Additional Characteristics:
- Early Season Ripening
- Self-Pollinating (Improved Yields with Cross-Pollination)
- Cold Hardy
- High-Yielding
- Fall Foliage Interest