Vaccinium: Blueberry, Cranberry, Lingonberry, & Whortleberry
Vaccinium is a large group of plants that includes blueberries and cranberries, Northwest native huckleberries and several more fruiting shrubs grown primarily for their ornamental qualities.
We discuss non-native Vacciniums here - to read more about native types follow this link.
Native to northeast US, Lowbush Blueberries are the state fruit of Maine. They have small, sweet, tart berries in summer are good for baking. Leaves turn bright orange and red before they fall off in autumn revealing bright green and red winter stems. Small white or pink bell flowers in spring. Portland Nursery offers ‘Burgundy’ and ‘Brunswick’ varieties, which should be planted together for pollination.
Grows 6”-24” tall x 24” wide, Hardy Zone 3, -40f.
Rabbiteyes are similar to Northern Highbush Blueberries, but better suited to growing conditions in the southern United States. In addition to producing delicious fruit, they have ornamental qualities that make them great plants for the landscape. Pink bell flowers appear in April attracting bees, and blue-green leaves turn lavender during mild NW winters. Berries are delicious and have a different flavor than typical store-bought varieties - they ripen in July-August.
Best fruiting in full sun - part shade is fine for ornamental purposes - hardy zone 7, 0-10f.
‘Misty’ - Grows 6' x 6'
‘Sunshine Blue’ is self-fertile & grows to 3-4' x 3-4'
This is our commercial blueberry. Numerous cultivars are available, offering variety in flavor and size of fruit. Blueberries are tall multi-stemmed shrubs with deciduous leaves that turn bright yellow, orange and red before falling in autumn.
Grows 4-8', full sun for best fruiting, regular water during summer, hardy Zone 3, -40f.
Learn more about Blueberries here*
Himalayan Huckleberry is a great little shrub. White bell flowers, evergreen leaves that are dark blue-green on top & pale chalky blue on the bottom & blue edible fruit. It grows slowly, so it's never going to overwhelm a space, and it can grow in full sun, but is not well suited to very hot dry spots.
Grows 18" X 24", sun-part shade, Z7
This is the source for all things Cranberry, including juice and sauce. Small pinkish flowers in spring, narrow evergreen leaves turn purple in winter and round red berries ripen in early autumn. It grows slowly as a ground cover in sphagnum bogs in the wild, but can thrive in garden soil where there is added organic matter, so long as the roots stay cool and moist. Cranberries are nice additions to container plantings.
Grows 2-6” tall, spread is indefinite. Sun - part shade, Hardy Zone 2, -50f.
Darling little evergreen shrub, grown for ornamental use, but with edible fruit. Small round glossy leaves have a red tinge during winter months. Small red flowers aren’t really noticeable and fruit is better suited for wildlife than human consumption. This is a nice plant for borders or container plantings.
Grows 1-3’ tall and wide. Sun-part shade and moist, not waterlogged soil. Hardy Zone 5, -20f.
This has become one of our favorite small shrubs for Northwest gardens, mainly because the foliage is so nice! Branches are tipped with copper new leaves that turn to dark glossy green during summer. Pink bell flowers in spring turn to black berries in fall.
Grows 8-12” tall x 12-36" wide. Part shade, Hardy Zone 7, 0-10f.
White bell flowers in spring, small bright red round berries in summer and glossy round evergreen leaves. ground cover habit, spreads slowly by underground runners. Thrives in sun/part shade and moist well-drained soil. Nice selection for an edible container plant.
Grows 6-12” tall, 3’ wide. Hardy Zone 5, -20f.
Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry) and Vaccinium parviflorum (Red Huckleberry) are excellent Northwest natives for fruit and ornamental qualities. They are not, however, the huckleberry of Huckleberry Jam or Huckleberry Syrup. That is Vaccinium membranaceum. It is sadly difficult to grow in cultivation and at lower warmer elevations, so we don't often see it in the nursery.
Follow this link to read more on our Native plant picks page for Vaccinium
Year-round
Best selection for fruit is January-April
Best selection for shrubs is March-October
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Vaccinium – vac-SIN-ee-um
Common: Blueberry, Huckleberry, Cranberry, Lingonberry, Whortleberry
Origin: 450 species from the Arctic to tropical mountains, some from southern Africa
Characteristics: Evergreen or deciduous alternately arranged leaves often display bright fall color, particularly deciduous species. Small tubular white pink or red flowers, and fruit is a seeded berry.
Size: Some small trees are included in the species, but are not grown in the NW. Those included in our discussion are shrubs or ground covers, ranging in height between 6 inches and 8 feet tall.
Culture: Vaccinium thrive in acidic soil with a pH of 4.5-5.5 which is commonly found in Portland and on the rainy side of the Cascade Mountains. Most would appreciate better soil drainage than is typical in Portland, so adding mulch to the garden bed yearly will help. Fertilize with cottonseed meal or another acidic fertilizer to support fruiting.
Water enough to keep evenly moist while plants are getting established and rooting into a new location. Back off watering once plants are established, except for in extremely hot summer events. Water blueberries regularly while fruit is ripening.
Over watered plants and waterlogged soil both cause roots to decay and cause plant death.
Light: Plants grown for fruit production need at least 6 hours of sun a day. Several Vaccinium species such as V. ovatum and V. parviflora, will grow well under lower light conditions, but it will inhibit fruit production.
Problems: Vaccinium grown for fruit, Blueberries for example, are often a target for berry-loving birds. Bird netting, scare-away tape or fake predatory critters are commonly used to protect the fruit.
Vaccinium are susceptible to several fungal diseases that tend to be problematic for farmers but not as much for home gardeners. If your plants have worrisome symptoms, please bring samples into Portland Nursery for diagnosis, or follow this link to the Oregon State Extension Service for further research.
Read up on some of our favorite shrubs and remember, this is only a smattering of the variety of shrubs we carry all year long! Note: Viewing a Native Plant will take you into our Native Plant section.
