| Vaccinium ovalifolium | |
|---|---|
| Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Subfamily: | Vaccinioideae |
| Tribe: | Vaccinieae |
| Genus: | Vaccinium |
| Species: | V. ovalifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Vaccinium ovalifolium Sm. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Vaccinium alaskaense |
|
Vaccinium ovalifolium (known as Alaska Blueberry, Early Blueberry or Oval-leaf Blueberry) is a plant found in coastal forests throughout southern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Contents |
It is a spreading shrub which may grow to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. It has pink 1⁄4 in (0.64 cm) urn-shaped flowers.
It is used by residents in jams and jellies and for making liqueur. The leaves are used for tea. Blueberry tea can be made from the leaves of the blueberry plant or from the juice of the blueberries themselves. In the winter, the shrub is an important food source for grazing deer, goats, and elk, and in the summer the nectar feeds hummingbirds.
Media related to Vaccinium ovalifolium at Wikimedia Commons