Advanced Search Filters

Plant Type
Hardiness Zone
Heat Zone
Sunset Zone
Function
Sun Exposure
Soil Moisture
Water Requirement

Vaccinium angustifolium

Image of Vaccinium angustifolium

Jesse Saylor

Family

Ericaceae

Botanical Name

Vaccinium angustifolium

Plant Common Name

Lowbush Blueberry

General Description

Pretty white flowers in spring, delicious blue-black fruits in summer, and brilliant leaves in fall make this northeastern North American native an excellent three-season ornamental. A deciduous, prostrate, very twiggy shrub, it produces small, lance-shaped, glossy dark-green leaves in mid-spring, just as clusters of pendent white urn-shaped flowers appear. Tartly sweet blue-black berries ripen in early and midsummer. Birds and numerous land animals compete with humans for the tasty berries. In autumn the foliage becomes a rich red.

Grow lowbush blueberry in full to partial sun for best flowering, fruiting, and fall color. Soil should be well-drained and highly acidic. A bark or pine needle mulch may be beneficial. This shrub of the American North loves coolish summers and fares poorly in hot humid conditions. Use it as a groundcover, in the rock garden, or as a naturalistic planting that will produce food for the table and for wildlife.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    6 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    2 - 6

  • Plant Type

    Shrub

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade

  • Height

    5"-24" / 12.7cm - 61.0cm

  • Width

    18"-24" / 45.7cm - 61.0cm

  • Bloom Time

    Spring

  • Native To

    Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, North-Central United States, Canada

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Sand

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Prostrate/Trailing

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Summer, Fall

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    White

  • Fruit Color

    Dark Blue, Black

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Red, Bronze

  • Bark Color

    Red, Brown, Sienna

  • Fragrant Flowers

    No

  • Fragrant Fruit

    Yes

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Fruit

    Yes

  • Edible Fruit

    Yes

  • Showy Foliage

    Yes

  • Foliage Texture

    Fine

  • Foliage Sheen

    Glossy

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Smooth

  • Usage

    Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    No

  • Attracts

    Birds

  • Self-Sowing

    No