Patriot

Patriot is an early-season northern highbush blueberry released by the University of Maine in 1976, bred for exceptional cold hardiness and tolerance of heavier, wetter soils than most blueberries accept. The compact, upright bushes reach about three to five feet and produce large, slightly flattened, firm berries with a sweet flavor. Patriot is one of the hardiest highbush cultivars, reliable to USDA zone 3, and its manageable size makes it well suited to home gardens and containers. It also has good resistance to Phytophthora root rot, which lets it succeed where drainage is imperfect. Attractive in bloom and fruit, Patriot doubles as an ornamental as well as a productive berry bush.