Herb: High-Bush Blueberry


Latin name: Vaccinium corymbosum


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Medicinal use of High-Bush Blueberry:

Astringent, pectoral.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Swamps, low wet woods, pine barrens and dry uplands.

Edible parts of High-Bush Blueberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. It is usually sweet and juicy, though the flavour can be variable. It can be used in pies, pastries, cereals, jellies etc. The fruit can also be dried and used like raisins. The fruit is rich in vitamin C. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter. A tea is made from the leaves and dried fruit.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of greenwood, May/June in a shady position in a compost that contains some peat. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Slow and difficult. Cuttings of mature wood, harvested in November and stored in a fridge then planted in a frame in March. Layering in late summer or early autumn. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer. Takes 18 months. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn.

Cultivation of High-Bush Blueberry:

Swamps, low wet woods, pine barrens and dry uplands.

Known hazards of Vaccinium corymbosum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.