Virginia Tech Dendrology

bog blueberry Ericaceae Vaccinium uliginosum L. symbol: VAUL
Leaf: Alternate, simple, somewhat leathery, elliptical to obovate, 1/2 to 1 inch long, margins entire, distinctly blue to green above with networked vein pattern beneath.
Flower: Small (1/4 inch), in clusters of 1-4, pink, bell-shaped.
Fruit: Small (1/4-1/2 inch), blue berries with a white bloom, edible and sweet.
Twig: Slender, zigzag, round, yellow-green and hairy; buds small and pointed.
Bark: Gray-brown to reddish brown, becoming finely shreddy.
Form: Low growing, highly branched deciduous shrub usually under 18” tall; matted to erect.
Looks like: dwarf bilberry - ovalleaf huckleberry - velvet-leaf blueberry - big huckleberry

Additional Range Information: Vaccinium uliginosum 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