Vaccinium

Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant family Ericaceae. The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (whortleberry), lingonberry (cowberry), and huckleberry.

Description

Vaccinium species are generally small shrubs, usually from 0.3–5 m tall, though some tropical species can reach up to 30 m tall. They have simple, small, evergreen or deciduous leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.

Distribution and habitat

The genus is distributed mainly in the cooler areas of the Northern Hemisphere, though there are tropical species from areas as widely separated as Madagascar and Hawaii. They are found in a variety of habitats, from boggy soils to dry, sandy or rocky soils, from sea level to mountains, and from the subarctic to the subtropics.

Uses

Many species of Vaccinium are grown commercially for their fruits, while others are grown for their ornamental foliage and flowers. Some species are also used in traditional medicine.

Species

There are about 450 species of Vaccinium, including:

• Vaccinium corymbosum – Highbush blueberry
• Vaccinium macrocarpon – Cranberry
• Vaccinium myrtillus – Bilberry
• Vaccinium vitis-idaea – Lingonberry

See also

• List of Vaccinium species

References

Vaccinium Resources
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