which blueberry bush is this - Ask Extension
Hi, Last spring i planted a patriot and a bluecrop blueberry plant. One died but I don't know which one because I failed to label them. Is there anywa...
Knowledgebase
which blueberry bush is this #924262
Asked February 05, 2026, 3:09 PM EST
Hi, Last spring i planted a patriot and a bluecrop blueberry plant. One died but I don't know which one because I failed to label them. Is there anyway to tell which plant survived? Also, what is the best blueberry plant to plant in Colesville, MD that is most likely to survive?
Thanks,
Steve
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Highbush blueberry cultivars like the two you mentioned are functionally impossible to tell apart if they are not labeled and not fruiting (assuming two cultivars had two different ripening seasons, like early-season versus late-season). The flowers, foliage, and other features will be indistinguishable.
Both of those cultivars are commonly sold in our region and should be fine in terms of hardiness. Many factors can cause the loss of a new plant that is still establishing (one that's been in the ground less than a couple of years), though it's often centered around root moisture. Blueberry roots lack the fine root hairs that other plants use to help them absorb moisture, so they should not get too dry between waterings during periods of dry weather. (Much of 2024 and 2025 were notably dry compared to typical precipitation levels.) Whether they were planted in the ground or in containers will also impact their hardiness, as container plants tend to suffer from more root stress and winter damage due to the lack of soil insulating the roots compared to in-ground plants. (Container plants also tend to dry out much faster than in-ground soil.)
We have a sample list of recommended cultivars on our Growing Blueberries page, but it's not exhaustive, and dozens of cultivars are commonly available and planted in Maryland. An advantage of using cultivars derived from Southern Highbush or Rabbiteye species of blueberries is a greater tolerance for high summer heat, but the trade-off is that they could be more vulnerable to winter damage, unlike Northern Highbush varieties. Both 'Patriot' and 'Bluecrop' are Northern Highbush cultivars.
Miri
Both of those cultivars are commonly sold in our region and should be fine in terms of hardiness. Many factors can cause the loss of a new plant that is still establishing (one that's been in the ground less than a couple of years), though it's often centered around root moisture. Blueberry roots lack the fine root hairs that other plants use to help them absorb moisture, so they should not get too dry between waterings during periods of dry weather. (Much of 2024 and 2025 were notably dry compared to typical precipitation levels.) Whether they were planted in the ground or in containers will also impact their hardiness, as container plants tend to suffer from more root stress and winter damage due to the lack of soil insulating the roots compared to in-ground plants. (Container plants also tend to dry out much faster than in-ground soil.)
We have a sample list of recommended cultivars on our Growing Blueberries page, but it's not exhaustive, and dozens of cultivars are commonly available and planted in Maryland. An advantage of using cultivars derived from Southern Highbush or Rabbiteye species of blueberries is a greater tolerance for high summer heat, but the trade-off is that they could be more vulnerable to winter damage, unlike Northern Highbush varieties. Both 'Patriot' and 'Bluecrop' are Northern Highbush cultivars.
Miri
