Blueberries are one of the few fruit crops native to North America. Wild blueberries were utilized by Native Americans for making medicines, dyes, and flavorings, as well as for direct consumption. Once a small-scale crop produced within limited regions, blueberries are now grown throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Although highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are the primary type of blueberry grown commercially, others such as southern highbush (Vaccinium spp.), rabbiteye (V. virgatum; syn. V. ashei), and lowbush (V. angustifolium) are commonly grown in regions that suit their horticultural requirements. Before improved varieties were available for commercial production, wild blueberries were used to supply the market demand. Highbush blueberry cultivation and breeding programs, which began in the early 1900s, paved the way for the modern blueberry industry. Early
blueberry production was limited to the eastern United States and Upper Midwest, but with the new cultivars available, growers and researchers alike began to look outside of this region. By the 1930s and 1940s, blueberries were being grown in North Carolina and the West Coast, with further expansion occurring in subsequent decades.