Little Giant highbush blueberry
Little Giant is a compact, high-yielding highbush blueberry cultivar selected by A.D. Draper in Beltsville, Maryland and offered by Hartmann’s Plant Company. With a mature height of just four feet and a spreading habit of about three feet, this variety is ideal for both commercial growers and landscape designers seeking a productive, ornamental shrub. The fruit ripens uniformly, with 85% of berries ready for harvest around August 1 in southwest Michigan. Each plant can produce up to 15 pounds of fruit annually. The berries are very small—about 1,000 per pound—but sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of wild lowbush blueberries. Their loose clusters make them suitable for mechanical harvesting, while their fresh quality and 7–10 day shelf life at 40°F also support hand-picked markets and frozen storage.
Little Giant’s seasonal beauty adds to its appeal: light pink spring flowers, greenish-blue summer foliage, burgundy red autumn leaves, and red winter twigs. Hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 10, it thrives in well-drained sandy or sandy loam soils with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5, and prefers full to filtered sun. With consistent moisture and medium-rate acid fertilizer, this deciduous shrub offers four-season interest and exceptional fruit quality. It’s a standout choice for edible landscaping, wildlife support, and native species restoration.
Plants are 12-18" and are in 1 liter pots.