Deerberry
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Vaccinium stamineum
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Ericaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Accent or specimen shrub. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries. |
Description: |
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Medium to large shrub or small tree. Leaves temperate deciduous, about 1-3 inches long. |
Height: |
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About 10-15 feet in height. Spreading and forming clumps as broad as tall. |
Growth Rate: |
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Slow. |
Range: |
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Eastern and central North America west to Kansas and Texas and south to Palm Beach and Lee counties. |
Habitats: |
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Hammocks and pinelands. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained sandy soils, with humusy top layer, acid pH. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Light shade. |
Flower Color: |
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White with yellowish stamens. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring. |
Fruit: |
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Whitish to blue-, reddish-, or purplish-black. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides food and cover for wildlife. Nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators. Birds and other animals eat the fruits. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from de-pulped seed. |
Comments: |
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