The blueberry is a flowering perennial shrub native to North American and cultivated in Europe starting in the 1930s. The shrub’s bell-shaped, white-to-red flowers give way to the small sweet berries that turn a deep shade of blue when ripe. The fruit is valued for its sweet flavor and high nutritional value. Rich in vitamins and minerals, loaded with fiber, but lower in sugar than many other fruits, the blueberry is widely consumed as whole fruit as well as used in jams, juices, cereals, snack foods and wine.