Roots & Origins
From wild gatherings to commercial cultivation, the story of the blueberry is one of innovation and partnership.
Native Origins
Blueberries have been part of life in North America for thousands of years. Native Americans used them for medicinal purposes and as natural flavoring.
Elizabeth White's Vision
Elizabeth White, daughter of a cranberry farmer in New Jersey, saw the potential in blueberries as a crop.
Scientific Curiosity
Frederick Coville, a USDA botanist, began experimenting with wild blueberries, determined to find the right plants to cultivate.
A Historic Partnership
White invited Coville to work together on her family farm, Whitesbog. They selected wild bushes with the most desirable traits.
First Commercial Crop
The team harvested and sold the first commercial crop of highbush blueberries, changing the fruit industry forever.
National Recognition
The USDA proclaimed July as National Blueberry Month, celebrating the peak of the North American harvest.
Digital Era
The blueberry emoji debuted on smartphones around the world, cementing its status in pop culture.
The Pioneers
The domestication of blueberries was achieved by two strangers who joined forces in the early 1900s.Frederick Coville, a botanist from the USDA, and Elizabeth White, a farmer's daughter from New Jersey.
Before their partnership, it was widely believed that blueberries could not be cultivated. Farmers thought they could only grow in the wild. Coville discovered that blueberries require acidic soil, a breakthrough that made cultivation possible.
"Blueberries could be cultivated!" - Elizabeth White