Smallflower Blueberry
Vaccinium virgatum
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Ericaceae
- Genus:
- Vaccinium
- Species:
- Vaccinium virgatum
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 12-20 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may, jun
- Bloom Colors:
- White, Pink, Green
- Evergreen Shrub:
- Yes
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas
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
American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Andromeda Underwing (Catocala andromedae), Apple Sphinx (Sphinx gordius), Apple Sphinx (Sphinx "gordius"), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Basicladus celibatus, Caloptilia burgessiella, Caloptilia vacciniella, cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii), Dichomeris ligulella, Drexel's datana moth (Datana drexelii), green oak slug moth (Parasa chloris), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Huckleberry sphinx (Paonias astylus), Hyppa xylinoides, Mesothea incertata, Pangrapta decoralis, Parornix arbitrella, Parornix preciosella, Phyllonorycter diversella, Slender clearwing (Hemaris gracilis), speckled cutworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), Tischeria insolita, Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), white-spot moth (Antaeotricha leucillana), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta), Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus), Henry's Elfin (Incisalia henrici), Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus), Interior Sulphur (Colias interior), Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 4.0 - 5.5 (strongly acidic to moderately acidic)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers soils with high organic matter content
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