Vaccinium myrsinites
Shiny Blueberry
- Family: Ericaceae
- Form: Small evergreen shrub, commonly 1-2½ ft. tall and equally as wide
- Leaves: Numerous small, simple, alternate, elliptic, shiny, and glabrous. Margins are entire to serrulate and can be pink tinged, especially on the new leaves which are one half the size of older leaves. Leaves measure ½ cm wide by 1 cm long
- Stem/Bark: New growth is green, round, slightly pubescent, older growth becomes woody
- Flower: White campanulate flowers with fused petals are enclosed by pink calyxes. Multiple flowers are produced both along the stems and in terminal clusters. Flowers are bisexual with 8 to 10 stamens and one pistil
- Fruit: Shiny, glabrous round berries start green, turning red, then blue, then black. Calyx often persists on fruit. Berries are about ½ cm. and edible
- Comments: Multiple unrelated plants should be grown together for fruit production. There are a total of 6 native Vaccinium species in Florida. V. darowii is a similar species but has dull leaves and white waxy fruit
