Description
Duke is the blueberry for people who want to start picking early and keep those berries in good condition after they come off the bush.
It ripens near the beginning of the northern highbush season, yet its flowers open relatively late. The berries are firm and their flavor holds unusually well in storage, making Duke especially useful for families who pick more than they eat in a day or two.
The flavor is mild and clean rather than intensely aromatic. Pick the berries fully ripe and Duke gives you pleasant fruit that travels, refrigerates and freezes exceptionally well.
Overview
- 🌿 Very early northern highbush blueberry.
- 🌿 Firm berries with excellent keeping quality.
- 🌿 Mild, clean blueberry flavor.
- 🌿 Blooms relatively late despite the early harvest.
- 🌿 Self-fertile; another compatible highbush can improve yield.
Growing Details
Botanical Name: Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Duke’
Site and Soil: Full sun; acidic, well-drained soil around pH 4.5-5.5
Pollination: Self-fertile; another northern highbush can improve cropping
Ripening Time: Very early
Fruit: Firm, light-blue berries with mild flavor
Habit: Upright northern highbush shrub
Propagation: Own-root from cuttings
Additional Notes
- 🌿 Grower’s Insight: Duke is at its best when picked fully ripe, then it shows why it has remained such an important early-season blueberry.
- 🌿 Regional Insight: The combination of late bloom and early fruit is useful anywhere spring frosts are a concern but summers are long enough for northern highbush blueberries.
