Vaccinium stamineum

Vaccinium stamineum, commonly known as deerberry, tall deerberry, highbush huckleberry, buckberry, and southern gooseberry, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family. It is native to North America, including Ontario, the eastern and central United States, and parts of Mexico. It is most common in the southeastern United States.

Description

A shrub. It forms a crown and develops suckers. It grows 1.2 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are pale green and narrowly oval. They are 2-8 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. There are usually 2-7 flowers in a group. They are white to green. The fruit are green to yellow berries. They can be purple or black. They are 7-18 mm across.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, though it is generally unpalatable. Quality varies considerably from shrub to shrub. When cooked and served cold, however, it can be quite delicious, with a flavour reminiscent of gooseberry and cranberry sauce and a slightly bitter aftertaste of grapefruit marmalade. The fruit is around 10mm in diameter.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked. The fruit although edible are not attractive. They are often bitter.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It suits USDA hardiness zone 6.

Where It Grows

Canada, Mexico, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Requires a moist but freely-draining lime free soil, preferring one that is rich in peat or a light loamy soil with added leaf-mould. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position. Another report says that it prefers a position in partial shade. Requires shelter from strong winds. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions. A polymorphic species, the plants are very variable in leaf shape. It is closely related to V. neglectum. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagation

Sow seed in late winter in a greenhouse using a lime-free potting mix, barely covering the seed. Stored seed may need up to 3 months of cold stratification. Alternatively, sow fresh seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. When seedlings reach about 5cm tall, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in a lightly shaded greenhouse position for at least their first winter. Plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Half-ripe cuttings, 5–8cm with a heel, can be taken in August and rooted in a frame, though this is slow and difficult. Layering can be done in late summer or early autumn (though one source suggests spring is preferable) and takes around 18 months. Division of suckers can be carried out in spring or early autumn.

Other Uses

None known.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Deadly Nightshade

Atropa belladonna

Joan Simon from Barcelona, España

Safe

Buckberry

Vaccinium stamineum

Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, Bugwood.org (via Wikimedia Commons)

Deadly Nightshade: Tall herbaceous plant (1-2m), single shiny black cherry-sized berries, star-shaped calyx, large oval leaves, sweet but dangerous taste.

Buckberry: Low woody shrub, berries in clusters with crown/remnant calyx ring, sweet taste.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Arandano, Georgia blueberry, Southern Gooseberry

References (6)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994) (As Polycodium melanocarpum)
• JSTOR Global Plants edible
• Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 896
• Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/ (As Vaccinium neglectum) and (As Vaccinium melanocarpum)
• Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 229 (As Vaccinium neglectum)

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