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Project Noah Nature School
Vaccinium stamineum
Flowering shrub in the heath family. Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical, entire, 1 to 3 inches long, green above and white, pubescent beneath. Flower: Small (1/4 inch), white, bell-shaped with 5 lobes, yellowish stamens extend past petals in axillary clusters, appearing in spring. Fruit: Small, purplish-black (may stay greenish) berries with a white bloom, edible but not always sweet, ripens in mid to late summer. Twig: Slender, zigzag, green and red turning light brown; buds small and pointed. Bark: Gray-brown to reddish brown, finely shreddy. Form: Upright small to medium sized shrub up to 10 feet tall with an open spreading crown with twisted branches. Looks like: highbush blueberry - lowbush blueberry - sparkleberry - huckleberry
It is typically found in rocky or sandy soil in xeric woodlands. This one was photographed in a mixed deciduous forest at the Savannah River Bluffs Heritage Preserve in North Augusta (Aiken County), SC.
Spotted on Mar 22, 2013
Submitted on Mar 22, 2013
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