Climatch
For growers

Where can I grow blueberry (Southern highbush)?

Vaccinium corymbosum / V. virgatum · Fruit · Perennial

Blueberry (Southern highbush) is a great fit (80+) on 22.4 million km² (8.7 million sq mi) of land in 118 countries, 43% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Buenos Aires, Argentina and California, United States. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (60%) and winters get too cold (35%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+)
22.4M km²(8.7M sq mi)
16% of land
Worth a try (50–79)
4.7M km²(1.8M sq mi)
3% of land
Great fit without irrigation
12.4M km²(4.8M sq mi)
Rain alone is enough
Countries
118
With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

  1. 1

    🇺🇸Texas, United States

    Great fit on 411k km² (159k sq mi) · worth a try on 52k km² (20k sq mi)

    For example Houston (100), Grand Prairie (100)

  2. 2

    🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Great fit on 305k km² (118k sq mi)

    For example Mar del Plata (100), Avellaneda (100)

  3. 3

    🇺🇸California, United States

    Great fit on 272k km² (105k sq mi) · worth a try on 13k km² (5,200 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example San Francisco (100), Santa Rosa (100)

  4. 4

    🇨🇳Yunnan, China

    Great fit on 270k km² (104k sq mi) · worth a try on 19k km² (7,300 sq mi)

    For example Kunming (100), Qujing (100)

  5. 5

    🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia

    Great fit on 204k km² (79k sq mi) · worth a try on 3,400 km² (1,300 sq mi)

    For example Sydney (100), Newcastle (100)

  6. 6

    🇨🇳Sichuan, China

    Great fit on 194k km² (75k sq mi) · worth a try on 2,000 km² (800 sq mi)

    For example Chengdu (100), Bazhong (100)

  7. 7

    🇨🇳Hunan, China

    Great fit on 183k km² (71k sq mi)

    For example Changsha (100), Changde (100)

  8. 8

    🇧🇷Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Great fit on 182k km² (70k sq mi) · worth a try on 62k km² (24k sq mi)

    For example Rio Grande (100), Canguçu (100)

  9. 9

    🇦🇺Victoria, Australia

    Great fit on 170k km² (65k sq mi)

    For example Warragul (100), Burwood (100)

  10. 10

    🇬🇧England, United Kingdom

    Great fit on 163k km² (63k sq mi)

    For example Birmingham (100), Manchester (100)

  11. 11

    🇺🇸Georgia, United States

    Great fit on 155k km² (60k sq mi)

    For example Atlanta (100), Columbus (100)

  12. 12

    🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina

    Great fit on 140k km² (54k sq mi)

    For example Córdoba (100), Río Cuarto (100)

  13. 13

    🇿🇦Eastern Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 126k km² (49k sq mi) · worth a try on 15k km² (5,800 sq mi)

    For example Ugie (100), Tlokoeng (100)

  14. 14

    🇿🇦Western Cape, South Africa

    Great fit on 117k km² (45k sq mi) · worth a try on 5,200 km² (2,000 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Grabouw (100), Franschhoek (100)

  15. 15

    🇲🇽Chihuahua, Mexico

    Great fit on 115k km² (45k sq mi) · worth a try on 4,100 km² (1,600 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation

    For example Chihuahua (100), Hidalgo del Parral (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

  • 🇺🇸United States2.2M km² (858k sq mi) · 40% of its land
  • 🇨🇳China2.1M km² (812k sq mi) · 37% of its land
  • 🇦🇷Argentina1.2M km² (481k sq mi) · 79% of its land
  • 🇿🇦South Africa602k km² (232k sq mi) · 70% of its land
  • 🇦🇺Australia601k km² (232k sq mi) · 75% of its land
  • 🇮🇷Iran578k km² (223k sq mi) · 41% of its land
  • 🇫🇷France576k km² (222k sq mi) · 98% of its land
  • 🇪🇸Spain541k km² (209k sq mi) · 96% of its land
  • 🇹🇷Turkey431k km² (167k sq mi) · 51% of its land
  • 🇩🇪Germany370k km² (143k sq mi) · 97% of its land

Best-suited towns

  1. 100%fit

    Chengdu

    🇨🇳 Sichuan, China

  2. 100%fit

    Montevideo

    🇺🇾 Montevideo Department, Uruguay

  3. 100%fit

    Qujing

    🇨🇳 Yunnan, China

  4. 100%fit

    Antakya

    🇹🇷 Hatay, Turkey

  5. 100%fit

    Baoshan

    🇨🇳 Yunnan, China

  6. 100%fit

    Rotterdam

    🇳🇱 South Holland, The Netherlands

  7. 100%fit

    Naples

    🇮🇹 Campania, Italy

  8. 100%fit

    Essen

    🇩🇪 North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

  9. 100%fit

    Mianyang

    🇨🇳 Sichuan, China

  10. 100%fit

    Amsterdam

    🇳🇱 North Holland, The Netherlands

  11. 100%fit

    Seattle

    🇺🇸 Washington, United States

  12. 100%fit

    Bochum

    🇩🇪 North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What blueberry needs

Winter chill (9 winters in 10)
Ideal at least 15 portionsWon't grow below 6 portions
Coldest night of the year (average)
Ideal at least 14°F (-10°C)Won't grow below 5°F (-15°C)
Frost-free days
Ideal at least 140 daysWon't grow below 110 days
Days above 95°F (35°C)
Ideal at most 50 daysWon't grow above 120 days
Yearly rain
Ideal 30–59 in (750–1,500 mm)Won't grow below 18 in (450 mm) or above 98 in (2,500 mm)

Needs acidic soil (pH 4.5–5.5), which climate can't tell us. Shallow roots: irrigate in dry spells.

Sources: Retamales & Hancock, Blueberries (CABI, 2nd ed.); NC State Extension: blueberry chill requirements. Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

  • Not enough winter chill60%
  • Winters get too cold35%
  • Too many heat-stress days4%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. This map is for Blueberry (Southern highbush) only. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.

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