''Vaccinium formosum,'' with common names highbush blueberry, southern blueberry, southern highbush blueberry, and swamp highbush blueberry, is a species of

blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

that is native to the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

Description

''Vaccinium formosum'' is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub that grows to approximately 3.96-4.57 m (13–15 ft) tall. The plant has

ovaloid An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition, which may include either one or ...

green leaves that are about 2.5-7.6 cm (1–3 in) in length. The flowers of the ''Vaccinium formosum'' bloom whitish-pink in a bell shape, and the fruit is a dark blue with a "

glaucous ''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), g ...

bloom". The plant has green stems that turn into woody growth as the stems age. ''Vaccinium formosum'' berries are edible in both raw and cooked forms.

Distribution and habitat

''Vaccinium formosum'' is native to the Southeastern United States. It has been found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, and New York. It grows in a variety of habitats including bogs, pine barrens, mires, ravines and mountain summits.

Cultivation

The plant's primary habitats are in

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

es,

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s, and

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

y/sandy soils. It prefers low pH, acidic soils and will not fruit or grow well in basic conditions. The ideal conditions for this plant are in full sun; it can handle partial-sun though it may fruit less. The harvest season of the edible fruit of the ''Vaccinium formosum'' is primarily late spring/summer.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17251902 formosum Blueberries Flora of the Southeastern United States Ericaceae genera Crops originating from North America Fruits originating in North America Shrubs Berries Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Description

Distribution and habitat

Cultivation

See also

Further reading

References