Description
Chandler is grown for berries that rank among the largest of any northern highbush blueberry, with a rich, well-rounded flavor that holds up whether eaten fresh, baked, or frozen.
What sets the crop apart is timing: instead of ripening all at once, Chandler holds its fruit on the bush over roughly six weeks, so a single planting can be picked again and again through late summer rather than harvested in one rush.
The bush itself is vigorous with a slightly spreading habit, easy to keep productive with routine pruning, and it thrives in the same acidic, well-drained soil every blueberry wants.
Overview
- Among the largest-fruited northern highbush blueberries, with rich, well-rounded flavor.
- Ripens over an unusually long six-week window for an extended harvest.
- Self-fertile, with heavier crops and larger berries alongside a second variety.
- Vigorous, slightly spreading bush suited to hand-picking rather than mechanical harvest.
- Thrives in acidic, well-drained soil alongside full sun.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Chandler’
Site and Soil: Full sun; acidic, well drained soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5b
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings or tissue culture
Bearing Age: Fruits right away; full production in 5 to 6 years
Size at Maturity: Vigorous, slightly spreading, about 5 to 6.5 ft
Ripening Time: Late season; August into September, over about six weeks
Pollination: Self-fertile; a second blueberry variety improves berry size and crop
Yield: Moderate
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: The extended, six-week ripening window means a single bush can supply fresh fruit through much of late summer rather than in one short flush.
- Regional Insight: Northern highbush blueberries like Chandler perform well from the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and New England, wherever soil can be kept acidic.
- Explore more blueberries in our collection: Blueberries
