Vaccinium darrowii

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Vaccinium darrowii (Darrow's Blueberry, Evergreen Blueberry, or Southern Highbush Blueberry) is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus). It is native to the southeastern United States, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

It is an evergreen shrub growing 30-120 cm tall, with small, simple ovoid-acute leaves 10-15 mm long. 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.

Cultivation and uses

The species is grown both for its edible fruit, and as an ornamental plant in gardens.

Many commercial Southern Highbush Blueberry cultivars are hybrids, derived from crosses between Vaccinium darrowii with the Northern Highbush Blueberry V. corymbosum. 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).

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.

References

[Germplasm Resources Information Network: Vaccinium darrowii]

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