Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Vaccinium

Species:

Vaccinium caesariense

USDA Symbol:

VACA6

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

180 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, bees

Fall Color:

red, orange

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from underground rhizomes following fire. Fire can stimulate new shoot growth and maintain shrub vigor.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil

pH:

4.0 - 5.5 (strongly acidic to acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers soils found in pine barrens

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds are tiny and require light for germination. Surface sow on acidic peat-based medium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI