Vaccinium formosum

Life-forms

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 formosum
Name

Vaccinium formosum Andrews
References

Botanists' Repository, for New, and Rare Plants 2: t. 27. 1800
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

Vernacular names
English: southern blueberry

Vaccinium formosum, with common names highbush blueberry, southern blueberry, southern highbush blueberry, and swamp highbush blueberry, is a species of blueberry that is native to the Southeastern United States.

Description

Vaccinium formosum is a deciduous shrub that grows to approximately 3.96-4.57 m (13-15 ft) tall.[1][2] The plant has ovaloid green leaves that are about 2.5-7.6 cm (1-3 in) in length.[2]

The flowers of the Vaccinium formosum bloom whitish-pink in a bell shape, and the fruit is a dark blue with a "glaucous bloom".[2] The plant has green stems that turn into woody growth as the stems age.[2]

Vaccinium formosum berries are edible in both raw and cooked forms.
Range

Vaccinium formosum is native to the Southeastern United States. It has been found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, and New York.[3][4]

Cultivation

The plant's primary habitats are in marshes, wetlands, and loamy/sandy soils.[5] It prefers low pH, acidic soils and will not fruit or grow well in basic conditions. The ideal conditions for this plant are in full sun; it can handle partial-sun though it may fruit less.[2] The harvest season of the edible fruit of the Vaccinium formosum is primarily late spring/summer.[2]
See also

Vaccinium
Blueberry
List of culinary fruits

Further reading

Wiersema, J. H., León, B. (1999). World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference. United States: CRC-Press. ISBN 9780849321191, 0849321190

Hancock, J. F., Retamales, J. B. (2018). Blueberries. United Kingdom: CABI. ISBN 9781780647265, 1780647263
References

"Vaccinium formosum Swamp Highbush Blueberry, Southern blueberry PFAF Plant Database". pfaf.org. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
"Vaccinium formosum (Highbush Blueberry, Southern Blueberry, Southern Highbush Blueberry, Swamp Highbush Blueberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
"SEINet Portal Network - Vaccinium formosum". swbiodiversity.org. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
"Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
"Southern Blueberry - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2021-05-13.