Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Vaccinium

Species:

Vaccinium × carolinianum

USDA Symbol:

VACA11

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

150 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

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; fire can stimulate vigorous vegetative regrowth.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

acidic, well-drained sandy loam

pH:

4.5 - 6.0 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic-rich soils typical of forest understory

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. Germination can be erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI