Vaccinium darrowii

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Vaccinium darrowii
Vaccinium darrowii.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Vaccinium
Section: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus
Species:
V. darrowii
Binomial name
Vaccinium darrowii
Camp 1942
Synonyms [2]
  • Vaccinium myrsinites var. glaucumA. Gray 1878 not. Vaccinium glaucum Lam. 1783

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

Contents

Description

Vaccinium darrowii is an evergreen shrub growing to 30–120 cm (1–4 ft) tall, with small, simple ovoid-acute leaves 10–15 millimetres (3858 in) 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 (1814 in) diameter, blue-black with a whitish waxy bloom. [3] Cytology is 2n = 24. [4] [5]

Distribution and habitat

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. [6]

Cultivation

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. [7]

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). [8]

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:

See also

References

  1. "Vaccinium darrowii". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  2. Tropicos, Vaccinium darrowii Camp
  3. Flora of North America, Vaccinium darrowii Camp, 1942. Darrow’s evergreen blueberry
  4. Redpath, Lauren E.; Aryal, Rishi; Lynch, Nathan; Spencer, Jessica A.; Hulse-Kemp, Amanda M.; Ballington, James R.; Green, Jaimie; Bassil, Nahla; Hummer, Kim; Ranney, Thomas; Ashrafi, Hamid (2022). "Nuclear DNA contents and ploidy levels of North American Vaccinium species and interspecific hybrids". Scientia Horticulturae. 297. Elsevier BV: 110955. doi: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.110955 . ISSN   0304-4238.
  5. Hall, Susan H.; Galletta, G. J. (1971). "Comparative Chromosome Morphology of Diploid Vaccinium Species1". Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 96 (3). American Society for Horticultural Science: 289–292. doi: 10.21273/jashs.96.3.289 . ISSN   0003-1062.
  6. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  7. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network−NPIN: Vaccinium darrowii (Darrow's blueberry, Evergreen blueberry)
  8. "PI 554944 (Cultivar name: O'Neal)". Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). 2007-02-14.