Vaccinium myrsinites
This small (only 1 to 2ft), flowering shrub is native to prairies, pine barrens, bog margins, palmetto communities, rosemary balds, scrubby flatwoods, high pine sandhills, and seeps in all of Florida as well as some of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. The small urn-shaped white to pink or red-tinged flowers are born in the spring in clusters of 2 to 8. They are followed by green to light-pink berries, that transition to light green, then get a dark pink to redish hue right before ripening. When ripe, they turn super dark blue almost black and have a waxy look to them.
V. myrsinites berries are small, only about 6mm, but are super sweet with a very strong blueberry flavor and are ripe in late spring to early summer.
When choosing a location, this small shiny leaf plant, likes acidic, sandy soil, and is okay with either full sun or part shade. These plants need lots of regular water while getting established. Solitary plants rarely fruit. So make sure to plan more than one.
Just like everything else we sell, these plants are all organically grown, in-house. We do not use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and blend our own potting soil from scratch based on each plant species' needs. Unlike other nurseries, we do not focus on the size of the plant, but rather the condition of the roots. We grow everything with your long-term success in mind, rather than what it will look like "on the shelf"
| Days to germination |
seeds are hard to germinate |
| Days to maturity |
1 to 4 years |
| Life cycle |
Perennial Small Shrub |
| Plant time for seed |
year-round but Fall with fresh seed is best |
| Spacing |
1ft to 4ft |
| Sun |
full sun, part shade |
| Soil moisture |
brief inundation to drought tolerant after established |
| Optimum soil P.H |
acidic |
| Height |
1ft to 2ft |
