Did you know that a blueberry bush can save your life? Recently I hiked up Bald Mountain in NH and I should have paid better attention to the name! The mountain is literally bald – and steep! After the third time that I found myself reaching for a blueberry bush to hand on to for dear life, I began to appreciate it’s strength and deep root system.
Wild blueberry bushes grow close to the ground in poor soil date back to 1615. High bush blueberries (larger) grow in a taller bush (Sturgeon Cove in Eliot, Maine is a wonderful place to pick and enjoy a water view) and wild blueberries (smaller) are raked with a metal tool that looks similar to a dustpan with teeth. It is hard work raking these blueberries, but the wild blueberries have a lot more flavor. Typically, when grown on a farm, the farmer will burn the bushes every third year in order to produce a higher return.
While I love blueberry pie, my hiking day resulted in a new found love for their strength. Which do you prefer – high bush or wild blueberries?