General Description | A low growing evergreen bush. It has a straggly, spreading form and produces small leaves and blueberries. |
ID Characteristic | Blueberries, white flowers, thin small leaved foliage. Very low, almost a ground cover, forms a 'mat' covering the ground. |
Shape | Low, open-growing. |
Propagation | Cuttings taken in June will grow well, especially under misted conditions. Also propagated by seed. |
Cultivation | Does well in dry, sandy, well-drained, acidic soils (4.5-5.5pH). It will grow in harsh rocky conditions as well. I have personally seen it on moss covered rocks, growing out of the cracks. Full sun to partial shade. |
Pests | Generally has few drastic pest and disease issues. It can however suffer from: blueberry maggot, blueberry stem borer, cranberry fruitworm, cherry fruitworm, Japanese beetle, leafroller, leafhopper and aphids. |
Notable Specimens | The French River district of Ontario has many amazing groupings. |
Habitat | Dry, rocky, open barren lands in North America on acidic soils. |
Bark/Stem Description | New growth is a semi-glossy green turning to a medium brown with age. Stems show some red colour in the winter. |
Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Tiny brownish-red buds, 2-3 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. |
Leaf Description | Dark blue-green foliage in the summer, changing to crimson-bronze in autumn. Simple leaf, 0.75-2 cm long, 1-1.25 cm wide in an elliptical/ovate shape. |
Flower Description | Flower is white with a tinge of pink or red; it is 5 mm long and just as wide, in a 5 lobed “bell shape”. |
Fruit Description | Dark blue, sometimes purple-black berries that appear in mid-summer, 5-10 mm across. They have a sweet, sometimes bitter taste. |
Colour Description | White flowers with a tinge of pink or red, new growth is green turning brown with age and reddish in the winter months. Blue-green foliage turns reddish-bronze in the autumn. Fruit is blue or purple-black, buds are brownish-red. |
Texture Description | Overall medium texture in all seasons. |