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Ericaceae FAMILY

Vaccinium arctostaphylos

Vaccinium arctostaphylos

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Requires a moist but freely-draining lime free soil, preferring one that is rich in peat or a light loamy soil with added leaf-mould[1, 2]. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present[1, 2]. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position[2]. Requires shelter from strong winds[2]. A plant growing in fairly heavy woodland shade at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucester, England was fruiting very heavily in September 1996, and we have seen several other plants fruiting well in dappled shade[PFAF]. Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions[2]. Closely related to Vaccinium padifolium[3], differing mainly in that species usually being evergreen[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed[4]. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification[5]. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[2]. 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[4]. Slow and difficult. Layering in late summer or early autumn[4]. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer[2]. Takes 18 months[4]. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn[5]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Vaccinium+arctostaphylos>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  4. [4]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  5. [5]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  6. [6]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  7. [7]The taxonomy of Vaccinium section Hemimyrtillus — Vander Kloet S.P. & Dichinson T.A. · 1992 ↩︎A revision of the genus Vaccinium (section Hemimyrtillus)
  8. [8]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  9. [9]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎