Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry)

A genuine keystone species confirmed fire-tolerant and rhizomatous, lowbush blueberry is the leading source of commercially harvested wild blueberries in North America - and its ability to colonize even severely disturbed sites, including mine tailings, makes it a proven tool for revegetating the toughest reclamation projects.

Species Overview

Vaccinium angustifolium, or lowbush blueberry, is a low, open-growing, colony-forming deciduous shrub native to dry, acidic, sandy or rocky sites across eastern North America, typically growing 1 to 2 feet tall. Small, white to pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers bloom in spring, followed by sweet, edible blue berries in summer above foliage that turns brilliant bronze, scarlet, and crimson in fall.

Application

• Reclamation and revegetation on severely disturbed sites, including mine tailings
• Fire-adapted barrens and open-woods restoration - keystone species
• Dry, sandy, acidic groundcover plantings
• Wildlife and edible-landscape plantings - commercial-grade wild blueberries

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Acidic, well-drained, average soils; sandy or rocky
• Plant Type: Shrub
• Mature Height: 1-2 ft.
• Fall Color: Yellow, Orange, Red
• Bloom Color / Period: White, Pink; April-May
• Wetland Indicator Status: NI (No Indicator) - see flags
• Native Range: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (full list)
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees, supports specialist/oligolectic bees - reproduction is closely tied to insect pollination since this species is self-incompatible; specialist bees including Andrena carolina and Andrena bradleyi have a documented near-exclusive relationship with this genus, alongside bumblebees.
• Hydrology: Mesic-Moist
• Root Depth: Shallow (Under 12 in.) (blueberries are well-documented as shallow, fibrous-rooted)
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Drought Tolerance: Low (shallow roots limit access to deep soil moisture)
• Deer Resistance: No (Frequently Damaged) (blueberry foliage and stems are commonly browsed by deer)
• Flood Tolerance: Low - A cold-hardy species of acidic, well-drained soil; not a wetland obligate.
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Growth Habit: Spreading - rhizomatous
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-6

Planting Guidance

• Fire-tolerant and rhizomatous - a common colonizer of open ground that regenerates readily after burning. The leading commercial source of wild (as opposed to cultivated highbush) blueberries in North America.