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Blueberry refers to plants of the Genus Vaccinium, which also includes cranberriesVaccinium macrocarpon Vaccinium microcarpum Vaccinium oxycoccus The cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccus or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccus . They are found in acidic bogs througho, bilberriesBilberry is a name given to several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae) that bear tasty fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L. also known as blaeberry, whortleberry, whinberry, myrtle blueb (also called blueberry), and many wild shrubThe word 'bush' re-directs here; for alternate uses see Bush (disambiguation A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 ms producing edible round blue " berriesA false berry or epigynous berry is an accessory fruit created in certain plant species with an inferior ovary''. In these species the floral tube (including the basal parts of the sepals, petals, and stamens) can ripen along with the ovary, forming the f" (actually false berries) with flared "crowns" at the end. The fruitIn botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant. In cuisine, when discussing fruit as food, the term usually refers to just those plant fruits that are sweet and fleshy, examples of which would be plum, apple, and or are first white, then reddish-purple, and turn blue on ripening; the fruit are also called blueberries, and have a sweet taste. Blueberries are used in jellies, jams, pies, and many other snacks and delicacies.

Blueberries are both cultivated and picked wild. In North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea the most common cultivated species is V. corymbosum, the Northern Highbush Blueberry. Hybrids of this with other Vaccinium species, are adapted to southern US climates and are known collectively as Southern Highbush Blueberries.

Although wild blueberries are smaller and much more expensive than cultivated ones, they are prized for their intense flavour and colour. The Lowbush Blueberry, V. augustifolium, is found from NewfoundlandThis is about the island in Canada. For the Canadian province of Newfoundland see Newfoundland and Labrador. For other meanings of Newfoundland see Newfoundland (disambiguation). Newfoundland is a large island off the north-east coast of North America, an westward and southward to MichiganMichigan is a state in the United States. The name is derived from Lake Michigan, which in turn is believed to come from the Chippewa Indian word meicigama meaning "great water. Bounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan has the longest state shoreline and West Virginia. In some areas it produces natural blueberry barrens, where it is practically the only species covering large areas. Several First Nations communities in Ontario are involved in harvesting wild blueberries.

In the US, Maine is the largest producer of Lowbush Blueberries. The Maine crop requires about 50,000 beehives for pollination, with most of the hives being trucked in from other states for that purpose.

Rabbiteye, V. ashei, is a southern type of blueberry produced from the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast states.

Other important species in North America include V. pallidum, the Hillside or Dryland Blueberry. It is native to eastern USA, but common in the Appalachians and the Piedmont of the Southeast. Sparkleberry, V. arboreum, is a common wild species on sandy soils in the southeastern US. Its fruit are important to wildlife, and the flowers important to beekeepers.