Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
Section: Cyanococcus
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Vaccinium formosum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Southern Highbush Blueberry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Vaccinium formosum is the primary genetic source of the cultivated highbush blueberries. It has the largest and arguably the highest quality fruit of the native highbush blueberries. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Vaccinium formosum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Vaccinium formosum
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8 (2009)
Vaccinium corymbosum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Vaccinium formosum
SYNONYMOUS WITH The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) in Virginia (Uttal, 1987)
Vaccinium formosum
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-19-008?:
Vaccinium corymbosum FAMILY Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Vaccinium australe
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cyanococcus virgatus
COMMON NAME:
Southern Highbush Blueberry, Swamp Highbush Blueberry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Bobby Hattaway rah_v_formosum3394_gd
March Bryan County GA
)
Bobby Hattaway rah_v_formosum3394b_gd
March Bryan County GA
Each flower short-stalked, cylindrical, the 5 white petals 8-11mm long, tips acute and curled back, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Bobby Hattaway rah_v_formosum3410_gd
March Bryan County GA
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvformosum_oceanbay1
May Horry County SC
Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve
This has the largest and arguably the highest quality fruit of the native highbush blueberries, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
Bobby Hattaway rah_v_formosum3789_gd
May Bryan County GA
Lvs glabrous, elliptic to ovate, 4-8cm long, tip acute, margins smooth. Berries blue, glaucescent, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
JK Marlow jkm220926_0006
September Spartanburg County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Vaccinium formosum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Vaccinium formosum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Vaccinium formosum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8
Vaccinium corymbosum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Vaccinium formosum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) in Virginia (Uttal, 1987)
Vaccinium formosum
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-19-008?:
Vaccinium corymbosum
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Vaccinium australe
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cyanococcus virgatus
2341
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: bogs, swamps (especially blackwater, or at least where away from strong alluvial influence), seepages, depression ponds (dolines), other moist ground, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain (rare in Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous (almost evergreen in the Deep South)
Simple
Alternate
Margins entire
FLOWER:
Spring
White
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed urceolate corolla
10 stamens
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer
Blue
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p263
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p187?
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p174
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p364
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p238
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