Vaccinium: Distribution
Worldwide
Plant Profile: Vaccinium
Taxonomy: VacciniumNames
Bilberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Huckleberries
Phonetic Spelling:
Genus:Vaccinium
Species:
Family:Ericaceae
This genus includes various shrubs that produce fruits such as blueberries and cranberries. Numerous species are indigenous to North America, including North Carolina, and thrive in our local climate and acidic soil conditions.
Tags
#perennial
#white flowers
#shrub
#pink flowers
#berries
#red fruits
#bush
#blue fruits
#edible fruits
#acidic soil tolerant
#ebh-fn
Similar Plants
Vaccinium Feature Summary
Attributes
Worldwide
All fruits in this genus are safe to eat, though a few are not palatable. Most are sweet and/or tart and many, including blueberries and cranberries, are grown commercially for their fruit.
Perennial
Woody
Edible fruit
Fruit
Fruit shape, color, and size varies with species with many being dark blue or bright red. They all have a distinct "crown" of 4-5 parts on the blossom end.
Berry
Red/Burgundy
Purple/Lavender
Black
Blue
Edible
Showy
Summer
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Flowers vary but are often small and urn-shaped with fused petals.
Pink
White
Raceme
Spike
Solitary
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
fused petals
Cup
Urn
< 1 inch
Leaves
Non-distinct leaves, often elliptic to ovate. Underside may be lighter. Often has bright fall color.
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Green
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Ovate
Lanceolate
Entire
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Shrub
Edible
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Erect
Creeping
Cultural Conditions
Acid (<6.0)
Stem
Green
Red/Burgundy
Gold/Yellow
Bark
Dark Brown
Exfoliating
Vaccinium Image Gallery
Vaccinium Attributes
Vaccinium: Edibility
All fruits in this genus are safe to eat, though a few are not palatable. Most are sweet and/or tart and many, including blueberries and cranberries, are grown commercially for their fruit.
Vaccinium: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Vaccinium: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Vaccinium Fruit
Vaccinium: Fruit Description
Fruit shape, color, and size varies with species with many being dark blue or bright red. They all have a distinct "crown" of 4-5 parts on the blossom end.
Vaccinium: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Vaccinium: Fruit Color
Black
Blue
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Vaccinium: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Vaccinium: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Vaccinium: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Vaccinium: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Vaccinium Flowers
Vaccinium: Flower Description
Flowers vary but are often small and urn-shaped with fused petals.
Vaccinium: Flower Color
Pink
White
Vaccinium: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Vaccinium: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Vaccinium: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Vaccinium: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Vaccinium: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Vaccinium: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Vaccinium Leaves
Vaccinium: Leaf Description
Non-distinct leaves, often elliptic to ovate. Underside may be lighter. Often has bright fall color.
Vaccinium: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Vaccinium: Leaf Color
Green
Vaccinium: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Vaccinium: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Vaccinium: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Vaccinium: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Vaccinium: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Vaccinium: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Vaccinium: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Vaccinium: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Vaccinium Whole Plant Traits
Vaccinium: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Vaccinium: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Vaccinium: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Vaccinium Cultural Conditions
Vaccinium: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Vaccinium Stem
Vaccinium: Stem Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Red/Burgundy
Vaccinium: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Vaccinium Bark
Vaccinium: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Vaccinium: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
