Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Vaccinium

Species:

Vaccinium darrowii

USDA Symbol:

VADA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Subshrub

Height:

100 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

feb,mar,apr

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (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, bees, butterflies, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from underground rhizomes following fire. Common in fire-maintained scrub and sandhill communities.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil

pH:

4.0 - 5.5 (strongly acidic to acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

native to pine flatwoods and sandy scrub areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds require light for germination and benefit from cold stratification. Surface sow on acidic medium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI