Vaccinium

Plant Characteristics

Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	N Hemisphere and S Africa

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Ericaceae >

Vaccinium >

The genus includes about 450 species of shrubs, small trees and vines which may be evergreen and deciduous. Genus includes blueberries, cranberries, and huckleberries. Most species have small and often colorful fruits, some of which are edible. Flowers can be attractive, tend to be small, face downward, have an urn-shape, and can come individually or in clusters. Most have simple leaves which are oval to lance-shaped. The tips of the leaves are frequently pointed, and the edges sometimes have serration.

Cultivation

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Notes:

Vaccinium like moist, cool, well-drained soil that is rich in humus and acidic. They need protection from very hot summer sun. Conditions suitable to rhododendrons and camellias also tend to keep Vaccinium happy. Rather shrubby species ought to be shaped by pruning: after flowering when fruit is not needed, or else at harvest.

Propagation

You can propagate from seed, cuttings, layering and sometimes division.

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Species

A classification which predates molecular phylogeny divides Vaccinium into subgenera, and several sections:

Subgenus Oxycoccus

The cranberries, with slender, trailing, wiry non-woody shoots and strongly reflexed flower petals. Some botanists treat Oxycoccus as a distinct genus.

• Sect. Oxycoccus
  • Vaccinium macrocarpon (American Cranberry)
  • Vaccinium microcarpum (Small Cranberry)
  • Vaccinium oxycoccus (Common Cranberry)
• Sect. Oxycoccoides
  • Vaccinium erythrocarpum (Southern Mountain Cranberry)

Subgenus Vaccinium

All the other species, with thicker, upright woody shoots and bell-shaped flowers.

• Sect. Batodendron
  • Vaccinium arboreum (Sparkleberry) (images)
  • Vaccinium crassifolium (Creeping blueberry)
• Sect. Brachyceratium
  • Vaccinium dependens
• Sect. Bracteata
  • Vaccinium acrobracteatum
  • Vaccinium barandanum
  • Vaccinium bracteatum
  • Vaccinium coriaceum
  • Vaccinium cornigerum
  • Vaccinium cruentum
  • Vaccinium hooglandii
  • Vaccinium horizontale
  • Vaccinium laurifolium
  • Vaccinium lucidum
  • Vaccinium myrtoides
  • Vaccinium phillyreoides
  • Vaccinium reticulatovenosum
  • Vaccinium sparsum
  • Vaccinium varingifolium
• Sect. Ciliata
  • Vaccinium ciliatum
  • Vaccinium oldhamii
• Sect. Cinctosandra
  • Vaccinium exul
• Sect. Conchophyllum
  • Vaccinium corymbodendron
  • Vaccinium delavayi
  • Vaccinium emarginatum
  • Vaccinium griffithianum
  • Vaccinium meridionale
  • Vaccinium moupinense (Himalayan Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium neilgherrense
  • Vaccinium nummularia
  • Vaccinium retusum
• Sect. Cyanococcus (blueberries)
  • Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium boreale (Northern Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium caesariense (New Jersey Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium darrowii (Evergreen Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott's Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium formosum
  • Vaccinium fuscatum (Black Highbush Blueberry; syn. V. atrococcum)
  • Vaccinium hirsutum
  • Vaccinium koreanum
  • Vaccinium myrsinites (Evergreen Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium myrtilloides (Canadian Blueberry)
  • Vaccinium pallidum (Dryland Blueberry) (images)
  • Vaccinium simulatum
  • Vaccinium tenellum
  • Vaccinium virgatum (Rabbiteye Blueberry; syn. V. ashei)
• Sect. Eococcus
  • Vaccinium fragile
• Sect. Epigynium
  • Vaccinium vacciniaceum
• Sect. Galeopetalum
  • Vaccinium chunii
  • Vaccinium dunalianum
  • Vaccinium glaucoalbum
  • Vaccinium urceolatum
• Sect. Hemimyrtillus
  • Vaccinium arctostaphylos
  • Vaccinium cylindraceum
  • Vaccinium hirtum
  • Vaccinium padifolium
  • Vaccinium smallii
• Sect. Myrtillus
  • Vaccinium calycinum (Ōhelo kau laTemplate:Okinaau)
  • Vaccinium cespitosum (Dwarf bilberry)
  • Vaccinium deliciosum (Cascade Bilberry)
  • Vaccinium dentatum (Ōhelo)
  • Vaccinium membranaceum
  • Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry)
  • Vaccinium ovalifolium (Alaska Blueberry; syn. V. alaskaense)
  • Vaccinium parvifolium (Red Huckleberry)
  • Vaccinium praestans - Krasnika in Russian (Template:Lang-ru)
  • Vaccinium reticulatum (Ōhelo Template:Okinaai)
  • Vaccinium scoparium (Grouse Whortleberry)
• Sect. Neurodesia
  • Vaccinium crenatum
• Sect. Oarianthe
  • Vaccinium ambyandrum
  • Vaccinium cyclopense
• Sect. Oreades
  • Vaccinium poasanum
• Sect. Pachyanthum
  • Vaccinium fissiflorum
• Sect. Polycodium
  • Vaccinium stamineum (Deerberry; syn. V. caesium) (images)
• Sect. Pyxothamnus
  • Vaccinium consanguineum
  • Vaccinium floribundum
  • Vaccinium ovatum (California Huckleberry)
• Sect. Vaccinium
  • Vaccinium uliginosum (Northern (or Bog) Bilberry; syn. V. occidentale)
• Sect. Vitis-idaea
  • Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry, Lingonberry)

Gallery

If you have a photo of this plant, please upload it! Plus, there may be other photos available for you to add.

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References

• Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381

External links

• w:Vaccinium. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Vaccinium QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)