FNPS Plant Database

Vaccinium stamineum

deerberry
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

deerberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Vaccinium stamineum

Family:

Ericaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

6-12 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

blue,black

Phenology:

deciduous

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Fall Color

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods.

Considerations:

Requires acid soil.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

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Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A

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



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Attracts many pollinators--is important to native bees.





Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Upland mixed forests, sandhill, flatwoods, scrub.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Edible fruits.

General Comments:

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)



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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