Blueberry growth was first encouraged by Native Americans by periodically burning over fields. In the early 1800's, the European settlers gathered berries as a public privilege on the blueberry barrens of Washington County. Blueberries were canned and shipped to the Union troops during the Civil War in the 1860's. After the war, public access was limited and production was improved by more frequent pruning. Management intensity and production has increased over the years.
Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberries in the world.
Maine production has exceeded the cultivated blueberry production in Michigan. Maine produces 25 percent of all blueberries in North America, including wild and cultivated production. Twenty five percent of the total crop is produced in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Qu bec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The remaining 50 percent of the crop are cultivated blueberries produced in Michigan, New Jersey, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Georgia, Arkansas and others. Wild blueberries are grown on 60,000 acres in Maine.