James Burghardt
Family
Ericaceae
Botanical Name
Vaccinium
Plant Common Name
Blueberry
General Description
From cranberry sauce to blueberry pie, the American dining table would not be the same without the fruits of Vaccinium species. Many agree that this large genus has about 450 species, however some taxonomists disagree over its number of species. Vacciniums are in Ericaceae, the same family as rhododendrons and azaleas. All species are naturally distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and in the mountainous regions of tropical Asia and Central and South America.
These woody plants may either be shrubs or small trees. Most are ground-dwelling (terrestrial) but a few are tree-dwelling (epiphytic). Both evergreen and deciduous species exist and all have simple leaves of variable size. Generally they are alternate, leathery and medium to dark green. Many types have bright fall or winter color. Leaf shape may be elliptical, oval or lance-like and the edges smooth or serrated.
The pretty urn-shaped blooms of these plants may be borne singly or in clusters. They usually appear in late winter or spring at the ends of the branches or in the leaf joints. The fruit is typically a plump berry with many small seeds.
The fruit of many Vaccinium are edible and important commercial crops. Others provide food for wildlife. Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is native to North America. Its deciduous foliage is lustrous dark green in summer and brilliantly hued in fall. Its prized, round blueberries are sweet and delicious. Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are produced on creeping, bog-loving, broadleaf evergreen shrubs that originate from eastern North America. The plants form large mats of narrow dark-green leaves which turn bronze or red in winter. Clusters of pinkish urn-shaped flowers appear in summer followed by the highly prized cranberries. The deciduous Rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum) is native to the southeastern and south-central United States. Its juicy, spherical blue fruits appear in spring or early summer and dark green leaves turn bright red in fall. These are just a few of the desirable Vaccinium for home and garden.
Hardiness and culture are species specific, but some generalities can be made with this group. Like most other Ericaceous plants, Vaccinium grow best in fertile, acid soil and tend to prefer sunny to partly sunny locations. Many require some cold or cool temperatures in the winter for best growth and fruit production. Generally, the plants are shallow rooted, so lightly mulch around the plants and do not cultivate within the root zone.
Cranberry, blueberry, bilberry, whortleberry, lingonberry, cowberry and huckleberry are all Vaccinium species. All are ideal for summer berry picking and homemade jams, pies and cobblers.
