Herb: Dryland Blueberry


Latin name: Vaccinium vaccillans


Synonyms: Cyanococcus vacillans, Vaccinium torreyanum


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Edible parts of Dryland Blueberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Very sweet, it is considered to be one of the best tasting blueberries. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
120 cm
(4 feet)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Woods, thickets and clearings in dryish situations.

Propagation of Dryland Blueberry:

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 half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Slow and difficult. 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 the herb:

Woods, thickets and clearings in dryish situations.

Medicinal use of Dryland Blueberry:

None known

Known hazards of Vaccinium vaccillans:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.