Northern highbush blueberry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Northern Highbush Blueberry

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Vaccinium
Species:	V. corymbosum

Binomial name

Vaccinium corymbosum
L.

Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a species of blueberry native to eastern North America, growing from Nova Scotia and Ontario south to Alabama, and west to Wisconsin.

It is a deciduous shrub growing to 4 m tall, often found in dense thickets. The dark glossy green leaves are elliptical and up to 5 cm long. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 10 mm long. The fruit is a dark blue to black berry. This plant grows best in wooded or open areas with moist acidic soils.

This plant is also the most common commercially-grown blueberry in North America. In the wild, it is enjoyed by birds, bears and small mammals. This is the state fruit of New Jersey.

Outside of its natural range, it has been introduced into British Columbia and the state of Washington and, further afield, into Great Britain and Australia. Hybridized forms, known as Southern Highbush Blueberries, have been introduced into southern parts of North America.