Blueberry Draper® Highbush – Early, High-Yield Draper Blueberry Bush

The Blueberry Draper® Highbush is an early mid-season blueberry variety, ripening approximately 10 days earlier than Bluecrop. This Draper blueberry bush is known for its vigorous, upright yet compact growth and produces exceptionally high yields of medium to large berries with a firm texture and excellent flavor.

Draper Blueberry Features

• Mature height: up to 1.5 meters (5 ft)

• Growth habit: compact, upright, vigorous

• Leaves: bright green, turning red in autumn

• Cold hardiness: tolerates harsh winters down to -20°C

• Chill requirement: 500–800 hours

The Draper Blueberry is particularly well-suited for regions with medium to high chilling requirements and produces superior quality fruit at a young age.

Berries and Harvest

• Yield: 4–9 kg per plant, depending on age and growing conditions

• Berry characteristics: medium to large, light blue, firm, flavorful

• Harvest: can be picked 2–3 times, suitable for hand picking and machine harvesting

• Uses: fresh consumption, IQF processing, retail, or food processing

Draper berries hold well on the plant, allowing harvests to be spread out while maintaining top quality.

Growing Conditions and Care

• Sunlight: full sun

• Soil: acidic (pH 4.5–5.5), well-drained, rich in organic matter

• Water: keep soil consistently moist, avoid waterlogging

• Fertilization: use blueberry-specific fertilizer in spring

• Pollination: cross-pollination with other varieties recommended for best fruit set

• Maintenance: annual light pruning, remove old wood

Planting and Delivery

• Available as: EU-certified, true-to-type, virus-free plants from tissue culture

• Packaging: trays or pots, carefully packed to ensure best plant quality during transport

• Planting season: autumn or early spring (ideal: October or early spring)

• Plant spacing: 1.2–1.5 meters for optimal growth and yield

Draper Blueberry Benefits

✔ High productivity: vigorous, compact plants with excellent yields
✔ Superior berry quality: medium to large, light blue, firm, flavorful berries
✔ Long shelf life: perfect for fresh retail, fresh produce, and IQF processing
✔ Harvest timing: early in the season, just after Duke and before Bluecrop

Draper Blueberry Review

The Draper Blueberry is praised for its crispy flavor, large berries, and excellent shelf life, making it an ideal choice for both fresh consumption and processing markets.

Buy Draper Blueberry Plants from Fairplant

Fairplant offers Draper blueberry plants for sale under license from Michigan State University. Our plants are true-to-type, virus-free, and EU-certified, available as plugs (liners) or potted plants.

Contact Fairplant today to order Draper Blueberry plants and secure a healthy, high-yielding plant for your garden, orchard, or commercial production.