Vaccinium myrsinites (Evergreen Blueberry) is a low-growing, erect, much-branched, evergreen shrub with small, alternate, elliptic leaves that are glossy green to gray-green and copiously pubescent to glabrous. Attractive clusters of 2-8 urn-shaped, white to deep pink or reddish-tinged flowers bloom in spring. They attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Vaccinium myrsinites is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common name shiny blueberry. It is native to the southeastern United States from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. It may occur as far west as Louisiana.
Vaccinium myrsinites is an erect, branching shrub that reaches one meter (40 inches) in maximum height. It is rhizomatous and can form very large colonies. Colonies measuring one kilometer (0.63 miles ) across and over 1,000 years old have been observed. It is generally evergreen, but some forms are deciduous. The stems have angular green twigs. The leathery, green or grayish green, oval leaves are up to roughly one centimeter (0.4 inches) long and have smooth or vaguely toothed edges. The undersides are glandular. The flowers are urn-shaped or cylindrical, white to pink or red-tinged, and borne in clusters of up to 8. They may be nearly one centimeter long. The fruit is a black or waxy blue berry up to 8 or 9 millimeters in length containing several seeds.
Vaccinium myrsinites grows in several habitat types in the southeastern U.S., including prairies, pine barrens, bog margins, flatwoods, Florida scrub, palmetto communities, and rosemary balds. It also grows in disturbed, clearcut, and fallow cultivated areas. Associated plants include scrub palmetto, netted pawpaw, scrubclover, dodder, Florida blazingstar, scrub mint, tree sparkleberry, saw palmetto, Lyonia, dwarf huckleberry, inkberry, bracken fern, several oaks, many species of pine. The best sites are dry, sandy stretches of acidic soils in full sunlight.
In common with many southeastern scrub species, this plant is fire-adapted. It can recover from a fire by sprouting from its rhizome. This is also the way it forms vast colonies of cloned individuals. The plant also reproduces sexually by seed. The seeds are dispersed by animals, which relish the fruits.
Vaccinium myrsinites is likely a hybrid of two other blueberry species, small cluster blueberry and Darrow’s evergreen blueberry. Individuals may resemble one or the other parent species; the “darrowoid” phase is more common in coastal Florida, while the “tenneloid” phase can be found in southern Georgia and northern Florida. This species also hybridizes with many other blueberries.
The Seminole used V. myrsinites for food and for a variety of ceremonial and medicinal purposes, including the treatment of “hog sickness”, or unconsciousness.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The shiny blueberry is a full sun plant. Insufficient sunlight affects its flowering and fruiting. When selecting a growing location, try to avoid placing your plants near large trees. The tree crown coverage not only affects light, but also reduces air circulation, making diseases much more likely.
Temperature
The shiny blueberry has many cultivated species that have a wide adaptability to different temperatures. However, cold temperatures (T < 7 ℃) during dormancy are vital to helping them bloom the following year. The Lowbush Blueberry and the Northern High Blueberry usually need more than 800 to 1000 chill hours in an environment below 7 ℃. The Rabbiteye shiny blueberry from the south also needs around 350 to 700 hours. It is important to pay attention to cold resistance and chill hours when selecting varieties.
The shiny blueberry has a fibrous root system with shallow root distribution. Like other Ericaceae species, its roots with symbiotic fungi absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Therefore, the shiny blueberry is neither drought-resistant nor flood-resistant, and requires careful adjustment of soil moisture.
Watering
Shiny blueberry thrives in its native habitat with intermittent water availability, showing a high degree of drought tolerance. This resilience translates to a preference for less frequent irrigation, aligning with the natural sporadic rainfall pattern it has adapted to. Watering should be moderated to once every 2-3 weeks, ensuring the soil dries out between sessions. As an evergreen plant, shiny blueberry maintains hydration in its leaves throughout the year, making it well-suited for outdoor cultivation where it can benefit from natural precipitation cycles.
Soil
Because the wild blueberries mostly grows on the edges of forests, they are accustomed to the acidic soil formed by dead branches and fallen leaves.Loose, acid soil (pH 3.8-5.5) with a good drainage performance and plenty of humus is best, with the optimum pH value being 4.5. Sandy soil and sandy loam are also preferred.
Soil acidity can be adjusted to cater to the shiny blueberry. If the pH of your soil is between 5.5 and 7.0, sphagnum peat can be applied at a 10 to 15 cm thickness into the 0 to 150 mm top-layer of soil, before being fully mixed in. Sphagnum peat not only improves soil acidity, but also significantly increases the content of humus. If the pH of your soil is higher than 7.0, a raised ridge bed can be built and filled with soil that has the correct acidity. Back-filling soil should be 20 to 30 cm higher than the ground plane, and all roots must be covered in the soil layer below 0 to 150 mm.
Fertilizing
For optimal growth, shiny blueberry requires fertilization with balanced nutrition fertilizers, specifically those with an equal ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K), such as a 10-10-10 blend, during active growth. High nitrogen fertilizers can be applied in early spring to encourage leaf development. Fertilize once monthly during the growing season, applying no more than 1 ounce per plant to avoid nutrient burn. Fertilization enhances shiny blueberry’s vigor, flowering, and fruiting. Reduce frequency in fall and winter to prevent over-fertilization. Use a light hand; shiny blueberry’s roots are sensitive. With careful application, shiny blueberry will thrive, producing lustrous foliage and bountiful berries.
Planting Instructions
Planting requirements for the shiny blueberry differ between varieties. Ideally, use bag seedlings that are two to three years old when planting a shiny blueberry, with the diameter of the base of the main stem being more than 5 mm.
If garden centers provide bare-root seedlings, these can be stored in a damp and dark environment before planting to keep them in dormancy. The criterion of “dampness” is that the roots must be kept moist, but not fully saturated. Ideal planting time is usually late winter or early spring, before the plant starts sprouting new buds. Soak the roots of bare-root seedlings in water for 3 or 4 hours before planting.
Two or more plants of different species, with the same florescence, can be planted at the same time. Pollination between different plants can increase the fruit setting rate, as well as the single fruit weight. For species with a larger plant shape, the spacing should be appropriately increased.
If you are planting shiny blueberry into a pot, place this in a shaded and well-ventilated room for a week, before moving it outdoors and resuming with normal care. If on sloping land, avoid planting in locations where cold air stagnates, so that the plant is protected from frost during flowering. Adequate irrigation should also be carried out after planting. Maintain an organic mulch at a thickness of 5 to 10 cm throughout the year after planting.
A mulch such as broken wood sawdust, peat, pine needles and fallen leaves can help maintain soil acidity. As acidic organic matter degrades every year, the pH value of your soil needs annual monitoring, with adjustments as needed. Once the pH value of the soil is higher than 5.5, the shiny blueberry roots cannot absorb iron, meaning that the edges of leaves will lose their green color and turn red. Growth will be stunted, and the plant could even die. An acid peat soil mixture, while useful, takes effect slowly. If there are signs of an iron deficiency during the growing season, a chelated iron foliar fertilizer can be sprayed and a sulfur powder can be used to adjust the pH value of the soil.
Pruning
Pruning of young plants: After planting, for the first two or three years, the flower buds should be completely removed in the spring. This will promote growth, improve lifespan and boost future fruit yield. Pinch off any spindly shoots during the growing season to increase the number of sprouting lateral branches, so as to expand the tree crown.
Fruiting plant pruning: From the third year after planting, the shiny blueberry should be pruned each year, before the sprouting of new buds in early spring. The annual branch bears fruits, and the stronger the branch is, the more fruits it bears. For mature plants, each cluster should retain 4 to 6 stems and 1 or 2 new branches each year, keeping the tree uniform and well-ventilated.
Because of the plant’s slow growth, pruning should be conservative. Excessive pruning will greatly affect the amount of fruits produced. Shiny blueberry has both creeping and erect branches, and the erect should be retained as much as possible when pruning.
Propagation
Shiny blueberry is suited to propagation by sowing. For optimal growth, surface sow seeds in a well-drained, mildly acidic soil mix and ensure consistent moisture without waterlogging. A light medium, such as peat or sand blend, aids in preventing rot and supports root development. Germination may take time, so patience and maintenance of stable conditions are crucial. Softwood cuttings can also be effective, taken during active growth periods with rooting hormone application and a nurturing environment.
III. Uses and Benefits
Shiny blueberry is suitable for a low hedge or beds and borders. It works well in a naturalistic landscape as well as a container.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
The shiny blueberry fruiting period can last for several weeks. Fruit ripens when its surface turns bluish black. Due to inconsistent ripening of fruits, they should be harvested in batches. Harvest once every 2 or 3 days in full fruit period, and once every 3 or 4 days in both the initial and final fruit period, completing your harvest before the frost.
Gloves (finger sleeves) should be worn when picking fruits to avoid damaging them, which would affect their appearance and storage potential. When picking ripe fruits, gently hold the berries and tweak them clockwise to keep the peel intact. This will also help to prolong their storage period.