Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Vaccinium

Species:

Vaccinium formosum

USDA Symbol:

VAFO

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

300 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

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 rootstock following fire; common in fire-maintained pine savannas and pocosins.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, well-drained, acidic sandy loam

pH:

4.5 - 5.5 (strongly acidic to acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers soils rich in organic matter

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds require light for germination; best sown on surface of acidic, moist medium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI