Blue Ridge Blueberry

Description:

This deciduous shrub is erect in stature but variable in height. It generally grows 23 to 51 centimeters tall, but depending on environmental conditions it ranges from 8 centimeters to one full meter in height. It is colonial, sprouting from its rhizome to form colonies of clones. The shrub has greenish brown to red bark on its stems, and the smaller twigs may be green, reddish, yellowish, or gray. The alternately arranged leaves are also variable. They are generally roughly oval and measure 2 to 6 centimeters long. They are green to yellowish or bluish in color, turning red in the fall. The flowers are cylindrical, bell-shaped, or urn-shaped and are borne in racemes of up to 11. They are white to pinkish or greenish in color,[1] or "greenish white with pink striping",[2] and about half a centimeter[1] to one centimeter long.[

Habitat:

This blueberry grows in many types of habitat, including oak and chestnut woodlands, maple-dominated swamps, pine barrens, pine savanna, and a variety of forest types. The plant is common on disturbed sites such as roadsides and abandoned fields. Hillside Blueberry is often found in fire-adapted habitats because it is able to resprout from its underground runners.

Notes:

Spotted growing along stairs to suspended bridge at Tallulah Gorge State Park