E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Vaccinium corymbosum L.
highbush huckleberry (highbush blueberry)
Ericaceae (Crowberry family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Virginia Skilton  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #24655)

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Distribution of Vaccinium corymbosum
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Species Information

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General:
Shrub; stems to 4 m tall.
Leaves:
Alternate, deciduous, narrowly to broadly elliptic or egg-shaped, 4-8 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, entire to sharply toothed, green or slight bloom, tips often pointed, lower surfaces hairy or just so along veins.
Flowers:
In dense clusters, appearing when leaves are about half formed; corollas often pink-tinged, cylindric to broadly urn-shaped, 6-12 mm long, 4-6 mm wide; calyx lobes pointed, glabrous.
Fruits:
Berries nearly globe-shaped, 6-12 mm wide, blue to blue-black with a pale grey bloom; sweet and juicy.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Blue
Present over the Summer
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Wet swamps and bogs in the lowland zone; infrequent escape from cultivation in the lower mainland of SW BC; introduced from eastern North America.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Additional Notes

Vaccinium corymbosum is an agricultural escape in the Fraser Delta that has heavily invaded adjacent bogs.

Note Author: R. Klinkenberg

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Cyanococcus amoenus (Aiton) Small
Cyanococcus corymbosus (L.) Rydb.
Cyanococcus cuthbertii Small
Cyanococcus virgatus (Aiton) Small
Vaccinium amoenum Aiton
Vaccinium ashei Rehder
Vaccinium constablaei A. Gray
Vaccinium corymbosum var. albiflorum (Hook.) Fern.
Vaccinium corymbosum var. amoenum (Aiton) A. Gray
Vaccinium corymbosum var. glabrum Gray
Vaccinium parviflorum A. Gray
Vaccinium virgatum var. ozarkense Ashe
Vaccinium virgatum var. speciosum Palmer

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References