The difference between blueberries and blueberries: the big difference between two berries

There are cultures that are difficult to distinguish from each other, especially for novice gardeners. Not being well acquainted with the appearance, fruits of plants, they have little idea of ​​what blueberries and blueberries look like, what is the difference between them. Moreover, the plants have much in common and are not often found in garden plots.

And yet there are a number of signs by which it is not difficult to determine the name of the shrub. They are collected in this article.

Description of blueberries

Blueberries (Vaccínium uliginósum) belong to the Heather family, genus Vaccinium. Plants are perennial branchy deciduous shrubs of compact form. They are popularly called titmouse, gonobol, drunkard and blue grapes. They are considered the closest relatives of blueberries and lingonberries.

Wild blueberries are found in most of the northern hemisphere, most commonly in temperate or cold climates. The shrub can grow in large groups, called mars, or form small thickets, usually along the banks of water bodies. Loves wet soil, peaty soils. Distributed in swampy and mountainous areas, pine forests and tundra.

It is believed that this plant is the first to germinate in areas where green spaces are destroyed as a result of human activity - in places of fires and floods, in clearings. The poorer the soil quality, the better blueberries can feel on it.

Various varieties usually reach a height of 30 to 50 cm, sometimes grow up to 1.5 m, and can have creeping stems. Their lignified shoots almost to the top are directed vertically upward. The bark is gray and the leaves are dark green. Their length is about 3 cm, the shape is oblong or obovate. The surface is covered with a waxy film, which gives a beautiful bluish tint to the thin but dense sheet plates. The foliage turns reddish in autumn. The root system of blueberries is fibrous. Plants receive nutrients from mycorrhiza.

In spring, in May, blueberry bushes bloom small drooping five-toothed flowers of light pink or white. Their shape is bell-shaped. In the middle of summer, edible dark blue elongated or rounded berries with juicy greenish flesh ripen. They are covered with an elastic gray skin. Light juice. The average weight of blueberries is 10–20 g, and their size is about 1.2 cm in length. The yield of one bush can be up to 8 kg.

Representatives of the blueberry species are characterized by high frost resistance. Moreover, they are centenarians. In one place, a bush can grow up to hundreds of years.

Popular types and varieties of plants

There are several varieties of blueberries:

• undersized, or marsh;
• medium-sized, it is also called narrow-leaved;
• tall, in a different garden.

It is garden blueberry that has a higher yield and varietal variety. Over 20 varieties have been bred.

The most popular among gardeners are:

• Patriot;
• Bluegold;
• Bluecrop;
• Blue Ray;
• Marvelous;
• Elizabeth;
• Bonus.

The edible fruits of blueberries are consumed fresh or processed. Raw materials go to the billet jammaking wines. Blueberries are often used to make an assortment of blueberries, cranberries or lingonberries. The difference between these fruits is in a richer taste and aroma.

Blueberries are contraindicated in people with increased blood clotting due to the content of substances that make it more viscous.

Description of blueberries

Bilberry, like its relative blueberry, belongs to the Heather family, genus Vaccinium. It is a low shrub, the height of which reaches no more than 10–50 cm. Its stems are bare and ribbed, covered with pale green leaves above and pale below. They grow straight, departing from the central stem at an acute angle. The shoots of the first year of life are green, the rest are brownish.

The leaf plates are almost without petioles, leathery, smooth and shiny, alternate, arranged spirally, have an ovoid or elliptical shape, pointed at the tops, and slightly curved inward at the edges. The length of the leaves is from 1 to 3 cm, the width is up to 1.5 cm. In the winter they fall off.

Water falling on the shrub rolls down the grooved leaf plates, petioles and branches that have deep grooves to the rhizome. In shape, it is creeping, in the form of a cord, has a large number of branches and gives many shoots. In adult specimens, the length of the rhizome can reach 3 m.

In May, blueberries bloom, under favorable weather conditions - at the end of April. Flowering lasts up to a month in temperate climates, and in harsh northern conditions - up to 2 months. The main pollinators of this plant are bumblebees and domestic bees. It is a productive honey plant. The honey is light, with a slight reddish tint.

Bushes grown by dividing the rhizome give their first flowering in the fourth year of life. Seed-propagated plants bloom after 15 years.

The ripening period for fruits occurs in the middle of summer, it can last until September. Small round berries appear on blueberries, about 6–8 mm in diameter. Despite the name of the shrub, they are not black, but a dark bluish color, which is imparted by a waxy matte film on the skin. The fruits are covered with a firm skin. The pulp inside is soft and juicy, purple in color, sweet and sour, slightly tart in taste. Seeds are small, about 20 seeds. Fresh fruits stain the tongue and teeth.

If you rinse the blueberries well and remove the wax coating, they will slightly change color, become almost black, hence the name of the plant.

Blueberries in the garden

There are two varieties of blueberries:

• wild;
• garden.

For cultivation, hybrid plants are used, created on the basis of blueberries and wild blueberries. Real blueberries can only be picked in the forest. They are consumed fresh and processed: they prepare jams and jams, jelly, compotes, liqueurs. They also serve as raw materials for the manufactured products. Sometimes the culture is planted on alpine coaster as decorative.

Blueberries are contraindicated in diseases of the pancreas. They are not recommended for urolithiasis with the formation of oxalates.

The natural distribution area of ​​blueberries is North America and northern Europe. It grows in continuous thickets in forests, on the edges and thickets of pine forests, in swamps, in spruce forests, green bryozoans, in the tundra. The plant is very hygrophilous.

Blueberries and blueberries: what is the difference between them

Blueberries and blueberries are close "relatives" belonging to the same family and genus. This explains the external similarity and identity of some characteristics, for example, the degree of frost resistance, ripening period, growing area, useful properties. The principles of caring for crops at their summer cottage also largely coincide. It is not for nothing that both shrubs are popularly called gonobel.

Plants are often confused or mistaken for the same crop. Sometimes, in order to understand the difference between blueberries and blueberries, you have to plant both shrubs nearby and observe the differences.

The main features to look out for when comparing how blueberries differ from blueberries are the color, size and flavor of the fruit:

1. Blueberries have rounded berries. They are always painted in a dark blue shade, covered with a light bluish bloom. Blueberries can be slightly elongated in shape, their fruits are lighter, bluish-blue, with a pronounced bluish bloom. These features are reflected in the names of plants.
2. The color of the fruit pulp also provides a clue in identifying the shrub. Blueberries are characterized by deep blue gut and brownish seeds. The skin is firm. The juice is rich in coloring pigments that give it dark shades, from reddish to purple-black. The juice leaves bright spots on skin or clothing. Blueberries, in contrast to their "relative", have light blue, slightly greenish flesh and light brown seeds. The skin is delicate, thin. The juice is almost transparent, does not leave stains on clothes and skin.
3. Blueberry berries are smaller in size, their weight is about 1 g. In blueberries, they are larger and heavier, up to 15 g.

Flavoring features

Gardeners, choosing plants for their site, are often guided not by the peculiarities of growing a particular fruit and berry crop, but by its taste. In this regard, it is difficult to confuse shrubs. Benefits deserve blueberry fruits, their taste is neutral, pleasant, soft, sweet. The sourness is weak, there is a weak sugary aftertaste. Experts estimate it at 4.5–5 points on a tasting scale.

Blueberries have richer, brighter flavors. But it has a rich sweet and sour taste and astringency. The choice of suitable pods depends on your gastronomic preference.

Both berries quickly start to spoil after washing. For this reason, they should be immersed in water only before fresh consumption or harvesting.

The flavor characteristics of blueberries and blueberries persist even after freezing. This preparation allows you to make compotes, fruit drinks, juices, preserves in winter, add to pies. In addition, the fruits are rich in pectin, so they are often used to make marmalades.

Growing conditions

Blueberries and blueberries prefer loose, acidic soils with a pH of 3.8 to 4.5. They are not afraid of frost and high humidity, close occurrence of groundwater. Shrubs only suffer from late spring frosts during the flowering period. For protection, garden plants are abundantly watered and covered.

The main point, what is the difference between blueberries and blueberries when grown on site, is the light. Blueberries grow best in areas open to sunlight, but sheltered from the wind. Her "relative" loves partial shade, prefers areas near trees or tall, especially coniferous, shrubs.

It is not difficult to grow both crops on the site. To do this, you need to maintain the acidity of the soil and water the plants regularly. You can feed high-moor peat, which at the same time acidifies the soil. It is impossible to use humus or manure as fertilizer.

Composition and useful properties of berries

The fruits of blueberries and bilberries are rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements useful for the human body. At the same time, each berry has a special set of biologically active substances.

The blueberry contains:

• vitamin C;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin K;
• vitamin E;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• iron;
• amino acids;
• tannins;
• pectin;
• anthocyanins.

Blueberries contain:

• vitamin C;
• manganese
• vitamin A;
• magnesium
• vitamin E;
• B vitamins;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• tannins;
• carotenoids;
• malic and other acids.

The fruits have unique properties:

Blueberries are high in vitamins A and C. At the same time, blueberries are richer in phosphorus, manganese, magnesium and potassium.

Both berries are low in calories. 100 g of blueberries contain 39 kcal, 100 g of blueberries - 57 kcal.

Both blueberries and blueberries can be successfully grown on the site, to achieve good yields with proper care. Being undemanding crops, they easily adapt to environmental conditions and withstand frost. The fruits of both plants can be eaten fresh or harvested for future use, receive invaluable benefits from them.

Blueberries and blueberries, what is the difference - video