Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

highbush blueberry Ericaceae Vaccinium corymbosum L. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: VACO
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, elliptical, 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, entire or serrated margins, green above, green or sometimes pubescent and paler below.
Flower: Small, white, bell-shaped, in clusters (corymbs), appearing in spring with the leaves.
Fruit: Small (1/3 inch), dark blue berry ripens in mid to late summer. Fruits are sweet and edible.
Twig: Slender, zigzag, green and red; vegetative buds are small, red and pointed; flower buds are considerably larger and round.
Bark: Gray-brown to reddish brown, very shreddy.
Form: An upright shrub typically with several main stems and an open crown reaching up to 10 feet tall.
 Looks like: sparkleberry - Elliott's blueberry - deerberry - huckleberry

highbush blueberry leaf image
highbush blueberry flower image
highbush blueberry fruit image
highbush blueberry twig image
highbush blueberry bark image
highbush blueberry form image
highbush blueberry map image

Additional Range Information: Vaccinium corymbosum is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information