My blueberry bush's flower bells are falling off, leaving only the center stalk (stamen? pistil? whatever it is, its part of the sex organs)
Is this what happens when a blueberry flower is properly pollinated or is some type of disease/blight affecting the plants?
You can also get blossom drop without fruit forming if the bushes are stressed by a lack of water. It is normal for the blossom to drop after the fruit forms. But if the fruit are not forming, you may have stressed plants.
I realize this answer is late -- you should be able to confirm by now -- but this is normal behavior. The flowers fall off and the little bit that is left behind becomes the berry.
Birds pull the white flower petals from my blueberry bushes. It's like they know instinctually, in doing so, the blueberries will grow and ripen sooner. I've seen many species of birds doing this. Cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, mockingbirds, etc. First I watch the bumble bees pollinate the flowers and then the birds get into action. After the blueberries ripen however, the birds enjoy the harvest; in a big way. Last year, they didn't leave me enough berries to even make a pie.
