Not Verified — Winters This Mild
Not verified for winters this mild: lowbush blueberry is listed for zones 2-6 — a growing recommendation, not a heat limit — and we hold no heat rating for it. Delaware runs zones 7a-8a, milder than that range, so this page gives no verdict here. The frost window and season figures below are measured for Delaware.
Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware — the short answer
Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware: listed for zones 2–6, part sun.
- Plant zones
- 2-6
- Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
- Delaware zones
- 7a-8a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 23 - Mar 23 – Nov 17 - Nov 19
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 238 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- To first harvest
- ~3 years
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Delaware spans zones 7a-8a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score lowbush blueberry against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Where Lowbush Blueberry Stands in Delaware
Lowbush Blueberry is rated for zones 2–6 — a cold floor USDA puts at -50 to -40°F. No Delaware county sits inside it, so in open ground this is a grown-under-cover plant here rather than a bed plant — which is a statement about Delaware winters, not about lowbush blueberry.
Above the zone 6 ceiling
3 counties
- Kent County · zone 7b
- New Castle County · zone 7b
- Sussex County · zone 7b
Warmer than the zone 6 end of its range.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Zone Comparison
Lowbush Blueberry Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-6
- Sun: Part SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 1.5 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~30 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: Medium
Delaware Has
- USDA Zones: 7a-8a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 23 - Mar 23
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 17 - Nov 19
- Annual Rainfall: 42-48 inches
- Common Soils: Sandy loam, Silt loam, Tidal marsh
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-6)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware
The frost window
Across Delaware, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 239-day window you can count on — up to 241 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Delaware runs as cold as USDA zone 7, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for lowbush blueberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether lowbush blueberry is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Delaware; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
Growing degree days
Lowbush Blueberry needs ~1200 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~3732 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Delaware's typical season clears that easily.
Chill hours
Lowbush Blueberry requires ~1000 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Delaware typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Lowbush Blueberry tolerates a wide pH range (pH 2.8-6.6) — 3.8 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Delaware. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 4.2 and 5.2 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Delaware soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Delaware site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. Drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Delaware soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant lowbush blueberry for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before lowbush blueberry goes in. What follows is Delaware’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Delaware — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Delaware — 3,371 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 64 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Delaware carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Delaware
Severity Distribution
across Delaware
Highest-Severity Sites
Know Before You Grow
- •Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
- •TRI facilities report what they release. Check the wind — downwind beds catch more of it.
- •Near a brownfield, a raised bed of imported, lab-tested soil lowers contact with the ground; it does not remove it.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Delaware growers also need to think about:
Sandy soils in southern DE drain too quickly
Salt spray damage near the coast
Rising water tables in low-lying areas
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Delaware grower, not just lowbush blueberry — is covered on the Delaware growing guide.
Where in Delaware Lowbush Blueberry's Listed Zones Fall
Lowbush Blueberry is rated for USDA zones 2–6. Every Delaware county sits above it. Even Kent County, the state’s coldest at zone 7b, is milder than the plant’s zone 6 ceiling — the constraint here is winter chill it will not get, not cold it cannot take.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. Lowbush Blueberry’s zone 2–6 band: Rated hardy to zone 2a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Lowbush Blueberry draws honeybees and native bees (high value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, lowbush blueberry can only work that bloom inside Delaware's frost window — roughly 241 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 23 - Mar 23) and closing at the first (Nov 17 - Nov 19), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Delaware Cooperative Extension
For Delaware-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for lowbush blueberry, the canonical source is University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Lowbush Blueberry native to Delaware?
The USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) lists Lowbush Blueberry as native to the Lower 48 and records it growing in Delaware, but it does not say whether those Delaware plants are native or introduced. Your state's native plant society or Cooperative Extension can tell you whether it is part of the local flora.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware
When can I plant Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware?
Delaware's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 23 and Mar 23, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 17 and Nov 19 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Lowbush Blueberry, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Delaware and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Lowbush Blueberry grown in across Delaware?
Delaware spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-8a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Lowbush Blueberry is listed for zones 2-6, which do not overlap them, so there is no zone in Delaware where this page can call outdoor growing reliable. A parcel report resolves your own address's zone.
How many frost-free days does a typical Delaware site have?
A typical Delaware site sees ~241 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Lowbush Blueberry needs 100+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
Is Lowbush Blueberry native to Delaware?
The USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-10-19) lists Lowbush Blueberry as native to the Lower 48 and records it growing in Delaware, but it does not say whether those Delaware plants are native or introduced. Your state's native plant society or Cooperative Extension can tell you whether it is part of the local flora.
How should I amend the soil for Lowbush Blueberry in Delaware?
Lowbush Blueberry tolerates pH 2.8-6.6 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That is a 3.8-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Delaware site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Lowbush Blueberry actually grow on my specific land in Delaware?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores lowbush blueberry against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Delaware
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores lowbush blueberry against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Delaware lowbush blueberry averages can't show:
We read public map data around Delaware — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Delaware lowbush blueberry average
Explore More
Growing guides for lowbush blueberry
Explore Delaware county by county
Delaware carries 3 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for lowbush blueberry there:
Where else lowbush blueberry grows
Lowbush Blueberry's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Delaware in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Delaware
Delaware has a growing page for 1,005 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
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