FNPS Plant Database

Vaccinium myrsinites

shiny blueberry
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Roger Hammer, Dade Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

shiny blueberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Vaccinium myrsinites

Family:

Ericaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

1-2 ft tall by spreading ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,pink

Fruit Color:

blue,black

Phenology:

evergreen. Blooms in mid-spring.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Fall Color, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Best used as a wildflower as it has a relatively short lifespan.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seeds, division.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â–¡â–¡â–¡

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,10A,10B,11

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



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Attracts pollinators.  Documented bee species include Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa, Augochloropsis anonyma, A. sumptuosa  and Coelioxys say (Deyrup et al. 2002).

 Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, high pine, cutthroat seep.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Edible fruits.

General Comments:

The range includes all of peninsular Florida and the southern parts of Georgia, and Alabama.  

Citations:

Deyrup, Mark; Jayanthi 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



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



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. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update