Creeping Blueberry
Vaccinium crassifolium
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
Vaccinium crassifolium is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
Sandy and peaty pinelands and barrens.
South-eastern N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or cooked. The flavour is sweet but bland. The fruit is about 4mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 2
Plants can be grown as a ground cover, the cultivars 'Bloodstone' and 'Well's Delight' have been specially recommended.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Requires a moist but freely-draining lime free soil, preferring one that is rich in peat or a light loamy soil with added leaf-mould. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position. Requires shelter from strong winds. Not fully hardy in Britain, it is best grown in the milder areas of the country and is reluctant to flower in colder areas. Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties. 'Well's Delight' grows only 12 - 20cm tall, forming a nearly solid evergreen carpet and is recommended as an ornamental low-maintenance ground cover plant. The fruit has a slight aromatic flavour. 'Bloodstone' is another cultivar that has been recommended for ground cover. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 7 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. A clumping mat former. Forming a dense prostrate carpet with a limited spread.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Slow and difficult. Layering in late summer or early autumn. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer. Takes 18 months. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist