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'''Rabbiteye Blueberry''' ('''''Vaccinium virgatum''''', also known as ''V. ashei'') is a species of [[blueberry]] native to the southeastern [[United States]], from [[North Carolina]] south to [[Florida]] and west to [[Texas]]. Other common names include Southern Highbush Blueberry, Southern Black Blueberry, and Smallflower Blueberry.
It is a [[deciduous]] [[shrub]] growing to 4 m tall, though usually less, commonly only 1-2 m tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are spirally arranged, oblanceolate to narrow elliptic, 3-6 cm long. The [[flower]]s are white, bell-shaped, 5 mm long. The [[fruit]] is a berry 5 mm diameter, dark blue to black, bloomed pale blue-gray by a thin wax coating. It grows best on acid soil and is subject to few pests and diseases.
Rabbiteye blueberries are self infertile and must have two or more varieties to [[pollenizer|pollenize]] each other. [[Honeybee]]s are inefficient [[pollinator]]s, and [[carpenter bee]]s frequently cut the [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]]s to [[nectar robbing|rob nectar]] without [[pollination|pollinating]] the flowers. Rabbiteyes do best when pollinated by [[buzz pollination]] by bees, such as the native southeastern blueberry bee, ''[[Habropoda laboriosa]]''.
The species is cultivated for its edible berries, which are similar to other blueberries. It is also grown as an [[ornamental plant]] for its fall colors, typically bright orange or red.
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Vaccinium virgatum, Ait. A shrub 2-12 ft. high, with slender green branchlets, the young twigs puberulent: lvs. ovate-oblong to cuneate-lanceolate, 3/4 - 2 in. long, thinnish, acute, often mucronate, entire or minutely serrulate, green and glabrous above, pale or glaucous beneath; veins pubescent: fls. in short racemes, on naked twigs, appearing before the lvs.; corolla long and nearly cylindrical, 1/4 – 3/8 in. long, white or pink: bracts small, deciduous: terry black, almost or quite destitute of bloom. Swamps, S. Va. to Fla. and La.).—The distinction between this species and V. corymbosum is very slight. It is probable that, possibly excepting var. tenellum, this is only a southern form of V. corymbosum and should be reduced to varietal rank.
Vaccinium virgatum, Ait. A shrub 2-12 ft. high, with slender green branchlets, the young twigs puberulent: lvs. ovate-oblong to cuneate-lanceolate, 3/4 - 2 in. long, thinnish, acute, often mucronate, entire or minutely serrulate, green and glabrous above, pale or glaucous beneath; veins pubescent: fls. in short racemes, on naked twigs, appearing before the lvs.; corolla long and nearly cylindrical, 1/4 – 3/8 in. long, white or pink: bracts small, deciduous: terry black, almost or quite destitute of bloom. Swamps, S. Va. to Fla. and La.).—The distinction between this species and V. corymbosum is very slight. It is probable that, possibly excepting var. tenellum, this is only a southern form of V. corymbosum and should be reduced to varietal rank.
