Vaccinium myrsinites
shiny blueberry
Overview
Vaccinium myrsinites is a low evergreen shrub 12-24 in (30-60 cm) tall that spreads by underground rhizomes into broad colonies. The stems are slender and wiry, and the small leaves are 0.2-0.6 in (5-15 mm) long, oval, leathery, and glossy dark green, sometimes with a blue-green cast. In late winter and early spring, before and with new growth, it carries clusters of urn-shaped flowers 0.2-0.3 in (5-7 mm) long, white to pink, hanging beneath the branches. Round berries 0.2-0.4 in (5-10 mm) across follow in late spring and summer, ripening from green through red to blue-black with a slight waxy bloom; they are edible and sweet. The shrub grows in pine flatwoods, sandhills, and scrub on acidic, sandy soil and resprouts from rhizomes after fire, which clears competing brush. Colonies form low, even thickets rather than single mounds. One limitation is its need for acidic soil: in neutral or alkaline ground the leaves yellow from iron deficiency and growth stalls.
Native Range
Native to the southeastern United States on the coastal plain, from South Carolina and Georgia through Florida west to Alabama and Mississippi. It grows in pine flatwoods, sandhills, and scrub on acidic, sandy soil.Suggested Uses
Used as a low evergreen groundcover and edible-fruit shrub in acidic native plantings, spaced 24-36 in (60-90 cm) apart. Planted in wildlife and pollinator gardens, where the berries feed birds and small mammals.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'
Width/Spread2' - 4'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers from February to April, opening as or just before new leaves emerge. The urn-shaped blooms are white to pink, 0.2-0.3 in (5-7 mm) long, in small clusters. Bees visiting the flowers set the summer berry crop.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to pinkFoliage Description
glossy dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade on acidic, sandy, well-drained soil with a pH from about 4.5 to 5.5. Established plants tolerate drought and brief flooding, matching the seasonal swings of pine flatwoods. It needs no fertilizer beyond an acidic mulch such as pine straw. Hardy to USDA zone 7, roughly 0 F (-18 C), with evergreen foliage held through winter. Periodic fire or mowing renews the colony and prompts dense regrowth. Alkaline soil causes iron chlorosis, yellowing the leaves and weakening the plant.Pruning
Light pruning after fruiting shapes the colony and removes dead wood. Old or crowded stems can be cut to the ground, since the plant resprouts from rhizomes. Periodic mowing substitutes for the fire that maintains wild stands.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons