July is the time to pick blueberries in the 40 acre woods. Wild blueberries love the acidic soil provided by pine needles and oak leaves. The bushes are 2 to 8 feet tall and generally grow in groups. I look for bushes that are getting a few hours of sun during the day for the best fruit.

The University of Florida tells me that the woods and swamps of Florida are populated with at least eight wild blueberry species. These are broken down in two types; southern highbush and rabbiteye. The 40 acre woods is primarily dominated by a mid to late season variety of rabbiteye based on the heaviest fruit production coming in late June and early July. The woods of central Florida have more of the southern high bush variety due to the warmer winter.

Whatever the berry, they taste great. You can eat them out of hand, make jelly or my favorite, blueberry cobbler.