Woody > Vaccinium > Vaccinium angustifolium > Vaccinium angustifolium
Vaccinium angustifolium
Lowbush Blueberry
Mike's
Opinion
"
This plant reminds me of camping in the Owen Sound region. It is a nice little plant adding hints of colour to the northern landscape. It is a great groundcover-type plant to incorporate into a landscape, but requires special cultural considerations.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Ericaceae |
| Genus |
| Vaccinium |
| Species |
| angustifolium |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 1-5 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 0a-6b |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -46 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -50 |
| Height |
| 10-60 cm |
| Spread |
| 10-60 cm |
Photographs
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Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A low growing evergreen bush. It has a straggly, spreading form and produces small leaves and blueberries. |
| Cultivation |
| Does well in dry, sandy, well-drained, acidic soils (4.5-5.5pH). It will grow in harsh rocky conditions as well. I have personally seen it on moss covered rocks, growing out of the cracks. Full sun to partial shade. |
| Shape |
| Low, open-growing. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| Blueberries, white flowers, thin small leaved foliage. Very low, almost a ground cover, forms a 'mat' covering the ground. |
| Pests |
| Generally has few drastic pest and disease issues. It can however suffer from: blueberry maggot, blueberry stem borer, cranberry fruitworm, cherry fruitworm, Japanese beetle, leafroller, leafhopper and aphids. |
| Habitat |
| Dry, rocky, open barren lands in North America on acidic soils. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| New growth is a semi-glossy green turning to a medium brown with age. Stems show some red colour in the winter. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Tiny brownish-red buds, 2-3 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. |
| Leaf Description |
| Dark blue-green foliage in the summer, changing to crimson-bronze in autumn. Simple leaf, 0.75-2 cm long, 1-1.25 cm wide in an elliptical/ovate shape. |
| Flower Description |
| Flower is white with a tinge of pink or red; it is 5 mm long and just as wide, in a 5 lobed “bell shape”. |
| Fruit Description |
| Dark blue, sometimes purple-black berries that appear in mid-summer, 5-10 mm across. They have a sweet, sometimes bitter taste. |
| Colour Description |
| White flowers with a tinge of pink or red, new growth is green turning brown with age and reddish in the winter months. Blue-green foliage turns reddish-bronze in the autumn. Fruit is blue or purple-black, buds are brownish-red. |
| Texture Description |
| Overall medium texture in all seasons. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The French River district of Ontario has many amazing groupings. |
| Propagation |
| Cuttings taken in June will grow well, especially under misted conditions. Also propagated by seed. |
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