National Blueberry Month

National Blueberry Month is observed throughout July, celebrating the delicious, versatile, and nutritious blueberry. Whether enjoyed fresh, baked into pies and muffins, blended into smoothies, or stirred into yogurt and cereal, blueberries bring bright color and natural sweetness to summer meals. The observance also highlights the berry’s agricultural importance and the growers who cultivate these flavorful fruits.

July is a wonderful time to explore new ways to enjoy blueberries, from visiting a local farm or farmers market to preparing homemade jam or a refreshing summer dessert. Along with their appealing taste, blueberries are valued for their antioxidants and nutrients, making them a welcome addition to a balanced diet. Share a favorite blueberry recipe, try a new one, and savor the taste of summer throughout the month.

National Blueberry Month is observed throughout July, celebrating one of North America’s best-known native fruits and the agricultural communities that cultivate it. The observance is associated with the U.S. blueberry industry and has been promoted as a way to recognize blueberries’ economic, culinary, and nutritional importance. July is especially appropriate because it falls within the principal summer harvest period for many cultivated blueberry-growing regions.

Blueberries have deep roots in North American history. Indigenous peoples gathered wild blueberries and incorporated them into foods, preserves, and traditional preparations. In parts of the northeastern woodlands, dried blueberries were used during the winter, while fresh berries were eaten in season. European settlers adopted Indigenous knowledge about the fruit, including its uses and growing conditions, and blueberries gradually became part of regional food traditions.

The modern cultivated blueberry industry developed during the early twentieth century. Botanist Frederick V. Coville studied the plant’s soil requirements and helped establish methods for growing highbush blueberries commercially. New Jersey grower Elizabeth Coleman White worked with Coville to identify and propagate productive wild plants, leading to the first commercial highbush blueberry harvest in the 1910s. From those beginnings, cultivation expanded across the United States and later into other countries, with improved varieties making blueberries more widely available.

Over time, National Blueberry Month has evolved beyond a celebration of the harvest itself. Farmers’ markets, schools, retailers, health organizations, and food producers use July to highlight fresh berries, regional agriculture, and recipes ranging from pies and muffins to salads and preserves. The observance also reflects the blueberry’s cultural transformation—from a fruit primarily gathered in the wild to a major commercial crop valued for its distinctive flavor, versatility, and nutritional reputation.