Scientific Name:
Vaccinium ovalifolium
Pronunciation:
vack-SIN-ee-um oh-val-ih-FOE-lee-um
Common Name:
oval-leaved blueberry
Family Name:
Ericaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves thin, elliptic, 1.5-4cm x 0.5-1.8cm, margins entire or with a few low, blunt teeth below the middle only; flowers urn-shaped, pinkish, to 6mm long, bloom in early spring, before or as the leaves emerge. Winter ID: twigs and buds red, glabrous, zig-zagged.
Habit:
Irregular, Open, Spreading, Twiggy, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Canada - central, Canada - eastern, Canada - northern, U.S. - northeast, U.S. - northwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Bog, Humus rich
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Herb, Mixed shrub border, Summer interest, Wetland - bogs, Wildlife food, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Green, Red
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Obtuse, Rounded
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Urceolate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Berry (true), Edible
Fruit Colour:
Blue, Black
Fruiting Time:
Aug
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible, Botanically a false berry due to the inferior ovary (calyx opposite the pedicel like in pomes and the floral tube forms a thin layer of accessory tissue over the exocarp)
Bark Morphology:
Showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Red
Leaf Bud Type:
Conical (long-pointed)
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Virus (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
