Deerberry

Vaccinium stamineum

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Ericaceae
Genus:
Vaccinium
Species:
Vaccinium stamineum

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Shrub
Height:
12-20 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
may, jun
Bloom Colors:
White
Evergreen Shrub:
Yes
Landscaping Shrub:
Yes

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:
★★★★☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Aroga trialbamaculella, cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii), Drexel's datana moth (Datana drexelii), Major datana (Datana major), Polia purpurissata, post-burn datana (Datana ranaeceps), Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), tritona dagger moth (Acronicta tritona), Zomaria interruptolineana

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Xylocopa virginica (Xylocopa virginica), Xylocopa virginica (Xylocopa virginica)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil
pH:
4.5 - 6.0 (acidic to slightly acidic)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
Prefers open woods and sandy areas

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o