FNPS Plant Database

Vaccinium arboreum

sparkleberry, farkleberry
  • Photo by: Paul Rebman
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

sparkleberry, farkleberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Vaccinium arboreum

Family:

Ericaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

15–25 ft tall by 4–15 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

black

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Fruits ripen late summer. Moderately long-lived (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Fall Color, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

A profuse bloomer. Use for natural landscapes and wildlife habitat areas. Does well under a high pine canopy.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed and softwood cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for striped hairstreak (Satyrium liparops). Attracts many pollinators; especially valuable to native bees.

Fruit is consumed by birds and other wildlife.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Xeric hammock, dryf mesic hardwoods, may be in upper edges of floodplains, overgrown flatwoods, coastal dunes, sandhill, scrubby sandhill

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Fruit not particularly tasty to humans.

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Deyrup, Mark, Jay Edirisinghe, and Beth Norden. (2002). The diversity and floral hosts of bees at the Archbold Biological Station, Florida (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Insecta Mundi, 544. ( https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/544/ ). Accessed 2026.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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