Blueberries - Vaccinium corymbosum / virgatum

There are two types of Blueberries typically grown in New Zealand, Rabbit Eye (Vacciunium virgatum) and Highbush (Vaccinium Corymbosum). 
Highbush blueberries originated in north-eastern USA. They are the earliest berries to ripen with some varieties fruiting from mid November. The bushes are deciduous and can grow to 6 meters high if unpruned. Highbush itself has two groups, Northern and Southern, orginating in the northern hemisphere means this is counter intuitive to NZ, with Northern high bush varieties doing well in Southern cooler areas (south of Waikato) and Southern highbush varieties doing better in warmer Northern areas (north of Waikato).

Rabbit Eyes originated in south-eastern USA, and is different in several ways than the high bush, they are evergreen, more vigorous and yields are generally better. In N.Z. these are the main late season fruit, producing until around mid April. They tend to better in warmer climates, north of Waikato.

Blueberries can be expensive to establish when compared to other crops, but they remain productive for a long period of time. Blueberries need well drained, acidic soils with an organic content of at least 3% and a pH of 4.0 to 5.5. Blueberries do not tolerate standing water or grow well in excessively wet areas.