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Vaccinium angustifolium - Aiton.                
                 
Common Name Low Sweet Blueberry
Family Ericaceae
Synonyms V. lamarckii. Camp. V. pennsylvanicun angustifolium. V. pensylvanicum. Lam. non Mill.
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Dry open barrens, peats and rocks[43].
Range North-eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Maryland, west to Iowa and Minnesota.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun

Summary       

Physical Characteristics       
 icon of manicon of shrub
Vaccinium angustifolium is a deciduous Shrub growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone 2. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.


Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid soils and can grow in very acid soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Vaccinium angustifolium Low Sweet Blueberry


biolib.de
Vaccinium angustifolium Low Sweet Blueberry
biolib.de
   
Habitats       
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;
Edible Uses                                         
Edible Parts: Fruit.
Edible Uses: Tea.

Fruit - raw, cooked or used in preserves etc[2, 161, 177, 183]. A very sweet pleasant flavour with a slight taste of honey[11, 43, 183]. Largely grown for the canning industry, it is considered to be the best of the lowbush type blueberries[183]. The fruit can be dried and used like raisins[62]. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter[200]. This is the earliest commercially grown blueberry to ripen[235]. A tea is made from the leaves and dried fruits[101].
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Blood tonic;  Oxytoxic.

A tea made from the leaves has been used as a blood purifier and in the treatment of infant's colic[222, 257]. It has also been used to induce labour and as a tonic after a miscarriage[222, 257].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details                                         
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[11, 200]. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position[200]. Requires shelter from strong winds[200]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -40°c[200]. Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions[200]. Cultivated for its edible fruits, there are some named varieties[1, 183]. It succeeds in cold northerly locations such as Maine in N. America[183] and in C. Sweden. However, it is said to have little or no value as a fruit crop in Britain[11]. The typical species is not as well known as its subspecies V. angustifolium laevifolium. House[11]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
                                                                                 
Propagation                                         
Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed[78]. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification[113]. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[200]. 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[78]. Slow and difficult. Layering in late summer or early autumn[78]. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer[200]. Takes 18 months[78]. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn[113].
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Expert comment                                         
 
      
Author                                         
Aiton.
                                                                                 
Botanical References                                         
1143200
                                                                                 
Links / References                                         

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[43]Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany.
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[62]Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants.
Very readable.
[78]Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[101]Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada.
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.
[113]Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[235]Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Subject : Vaccinium angustifolium  
             

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