Vaccinium darrowii

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Vaccinioideae
Tribus: Vaccinieae
Genus: Vaccinium
Sectio: V. sect. Cyanococcus
Species: Vaccinium darrowii
Name

Vaccinium darrowii Camp (1942)
Synonyms

Vaccinium myrsinites var. glaucum A.Gray

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Southeastern USA
USA (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Camp, W.H. 1942: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 69: 240, as "darrowi"

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Vaccinium darrowii. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 28. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Vaccinium darrowii in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 28. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Vaccinium darrowii. Published online. Accessed: May 28 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Vaccinium darrowii. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 28.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Vaccinium darrowii in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2020 May 28.

Vernacular names
English: Darrow's Blueberry, Evergreen Blueberry, Southern Highbush Blueberry
日本語: 南部ハイブッシュ系

Vaccinium darrowii, with the common names Darrow's blueberry, evergreen blueberry, scrub blueberry, or southern highbush blueberry, is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus).

Distribution

Vaccinium darrowii is native to the Southeastern United States, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The primary habitat for the species is pine forests, where it prefers full sun and the slightly acidic soils common in such habitat.[2]
Description

Vaccinium darrowii is an evergreen shrub growing 30–120 cm (0.98–3.94 ft) tall, with small, simple ovoid-acute leaves 10–15 mm long and in non hybrid forms are a light blue-green color on the base of the plant and a light pink color at the tips of the branches.

The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 4–8 mm long. The fruit is a berry 4–6 mm diameter, blue-black with a whitish waxy bloom.[3]

Cultivation

The species Vaccinium darrowii is grown both for its edible berries, and for horticultural uses as an ornamental plant in home gardens, native plant and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects.[4]
Hybrid cultivars

Many commercial Southern Highbush Blueberry cultivars are hybrids, derived from crosses between Vaccinium darrowii with the Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), as well as other species such as Rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum) and Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium).[5]

Southern Highbush Cultivars, in addition to lower chilling requirements, also have greater tolerance to high summer temperatures, somewhat greater drought tolerance and develop superior fruit quality under Southern U.S. growing conditions. As a rule, Southern highbush blueberries are self-fertile. However, larger and earlier-ripening berries result if several cultivars are interplanted for cross-pollination.

The following Southern Highbush Blueberry cultivars, listed by fruit ripening time, are recommended for the fruit garden and landscape:

Very early season: 'O’Neal'
Early/midseason: 'Cape Fear'
Midseason: 'Blue Ridge' and 'Georgia Gem' (adapted to the Sandhills and Coastal Plains; needs frost protection in the Piedmont)
Mid/late season: 'Legacy' and 'Summit'
Late season: 'Ozarkblue' (Piedmont only)