Nelson Blueberry

Northern highbush blueberry with vigorous, upright growth habit. Productive and reliable cropper with consistently high yields averaging 12-15 pounds per plant (up to 10-13 pounds in some sources) at maturity. Loose fruit clusters allow ripe berries to separate easily from stems, facilitating both hand and mechanical harvest. Particularly vibrant red fall foliage. Ripens late-midseason. Excellent cross-pollinator, often planted with other varieties blooming at same time to improve yield. 

Large berries (60 berries per cup, approximately 1.99 grams per berry), just slightly smaller than Patriot. Firm texture. Dark blue to light blue color depending on source. Small picking scars. Good to very good flavor, sweet with taste similar to Bluecrop. Deep blue classic highbush appearance. Berries are firm and juicy, making Nelson excellent for fresh eating and culinary purposes. Of all cultivars ripening around July 25, Nelson is considered most outstanding for fresh markets. Berries do not all ripen simultaneously, spreading harvest over several days.

Developed by legendary USDA-ARS blueberry breeder Arlen D. Draper at the cooperative breeding program between Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). Released 1988-1989. Draper focused on incorporating genes from most wild Vaccinium species into cultivated highbush background and released prodigious numbers of both southern and northern highbush cultivars with improved fruit color, firmness, smaller pedicle scars, and higher productivity. Suitable for both commercial and U-pick operations.