Northern highbush blueberry

Northern Highbush Blueberry
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Vaccinium
Species:	V. corymbosum
Binomial name
Vaccinium corymbosum L.

Northern highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, is a species of blueberry native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and Ontario south to Alabama, and west to Wisconsin. Other common names include blue huckleberry, tall huckleberry, swamp huckleberry, high blueberry, and swamp blueberry.^[1]

Growth

Vaccinium corymbosum is a deciduous shrub growing to 4 m tall, often found in dense thickets. The dark glossy green leaves are elliptical and up to 5 cm long. In fall, the leaves change to a brilliant red. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 10 mm long. The fruit is a dark blue to black berry. This plant grows best in wooded or open areas with moist acidic soils.

Characteristics

This plant is also the most common commercially-grown blueberry in North America. In the wild, it is enjoyed by birds, bears and small mammals.

Distribution

Outside of its natural range, Vaccinium corymbosum has been introduced into British Columbia and the state of Washington and, further afield, into Great Britain and Australia.

Cultivars

Cultivars known as Southern highbush blueberries have been developed for cultivation in warm southern parts of North America. These are hybridized forms derived from crosses with Vaccinium darrowii.

Gallery

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  Flowering

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  Ripe and unripe berries

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  Berry closeup

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  Leaves

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  Mature bush

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  Small bush with fruit

See also

• Vaccinium
• Huckleberry

External links

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Vaccinium corymbosum

References

1. ^ Gough, Robert Edward (1994). The highbush blueberry and its management. Psychology Press. pp. 3. ISBN 978-1560220213. http://books.google.com/books?id=_wqfvwUy_oAC&dq. Retrieved 2011-04-29.