6 Berry Bushes to Plant in February
If you like pounds of delicious fruit, you’ll be happy to learn there are multiple berry bushes to plant in February – and they’re not just blueberries and raspberries! Experienced gardener Sarah Jay discusses seven berry bushes you can plant this month.
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Due to winter being a period of dormancy, there are many berry bushes you can plant in February. In very cold regions, they’ll need extra protection in the form of mulch and coverings, but winter is a great time to plant fruit shrubs and trees. They develop strong roots below ground as their foliage and fruit sleep.
After your berry bush has had time to settle in, you’ll glean tons of fruit every year, as long as you can get to it before the birds do! To keep your harvests safe, plant more so there’s enough for you and for the birds. If you don’t have space, use a cloth covering to protect developing berries.
Before you plant, find an area with lots of sunlight. Most of the bushes on this list prefer full sunlight for ripening fruit. Ensure the soil where you plant, whether in-ground or in a container, is rich and well-draining. Get ready to prune and fertilize at least annually for lots of delicious drupes you can use in the kitchen.
‘Duke’ Blueberry
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botanical name Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Duke’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 5-6′ |
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hardiness zones 4-7 |
For tons of blueberries that ripen early in the season, plant a ‘Duke’ blueberry bush. These shrubs produce delicious blues in early summer, right before the heat moves in. With a hardiness range in the middle of the USDA zones, it’s adaptable to cold regions and slightly warmer ones alike.
You’ll need at least 800 chill hours to glean lots of ‘Duke’ blueberries. If you know you’re on the lower end of that range, and you have the space, plant several berry bushes in a row in February. This creates a blueberry hedge that supplies food for you and yours, and the birds, too.
‘Nova’ Red Raspberry
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botanical name Rubus idaeus ‘Nova’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-5′ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
People throughout most of the continent can successfully grow plenty of delicious raspberries with ‘Nova’. The canes of this plant are mostly thornless, making them easier to prune. ‘Nova’ can handle plenty of harsh weather conditions, especially cold ones, and it loves growing in raised beds.
Among other berry bushes to plant in February, ‘Nova’ raspberries offer adaptability, as these canes require no chill hours to bear fruit. They have an extended harvest that lasts from mid-summer into the early fall. If you don’t have room to pop this one in the ground, ‘Nova’ is a great container plant.
‘Marge’ Elderberry
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botanical name Sambucus nigra ‘Marge’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 6-8′ |
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hardiness zones 4-7 |
Elderberries are the stars of every herbalist’s winter remedies. They have properties that might reduce the duration of colds by multiple days.
The bushes themselves are truly lovely in gardens where they won’t escape cultivation. But outside this invasive range, these are vigorous, productive plants.
‘Marge’ is the perfect berry bush to plant in February for herbal gardens and wildlife gardens as well. Bushes don’t require much maintenance, which means you can save your pruners for your raspberry canes. However, you can break them out to shape the shrub and control its size if necessary.
Thornless Blackberry
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botanical name Rubus Prime-Ark® Freedom ‘APF-153T’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 4-5′ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Before we get into the benefits of this berry bush, I should mention that this one does escape cultivation in Southern California and parts of the Pacific Northwest. If you’re growing in these areas, select another shrub on this list. If you live anywhere else, it’s a joy to grow.
Thornless blackberries are even easier to prune than ‘Nova’ raspberries because, unlike ‘Nova’, they are truly thornless. You need only 150 to 200 chill hours to produce tons of plump, juicy blackberries in summer. In large-scale cultivation, blackberries are sometimes farmed with peach trees, and nothing is stopping you from doing the same at home.
Everbearing Mulberry
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botanical name Morus alba x rubra ‘Illinois Everbearing’ |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 15′ |
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hardiness zones 4-10 |
While this is a highly invasive tree in many parts of North America, it’s a great plant to grow where it won’t invade natural areas. Everbearing mulberry trees aren’t technically shrubs, but they can hedge out with ease, as shrubs do. These mulberries are prized for their ability to produce from early summer to the first frost.
Once your everbearing mulberry is planted, it will thrive, even in times of drought and intense cold. Birds flock to the berries throughout the year, feasting on them as they grow. There’s plenty for you, too, but if you want to keep them all for yourself, cover the plant after spring pollination is complete.
Goji Berry
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botanical name Lycium barbarum |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 8-10′ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Remember when goji berries were the superstar superfood back in the early 2000s? Well, they still are! And these are some of the best berry bushes to plant in February. These shrubs are prone to a weeping form that can be trained vertically on a trellis. This makes them perfect for gardens in smaller spaces.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find fresh goji berries in the store. Growing your own is one way to glean tons of fresh, delectable berries. If you live in an area that seems to be inundated with insect pests, plant one of these. Hardly any disturb a goji berry bush.
