Plant Family: Ericaceae
Growth Form: Erect understory shrub to 1 meter high that spreads by shallow rhizomes to form low, dense thickets.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, oval to obovate, 3 – 5 cm long, covered with tiny, golden, resinous dots both above and below.
Bark: Gray-brown and shreddy. Flowers: Nodding and bell-like, crimson, in tight clusters, flower stalks relatively short, 1 cm or less, May to July.
Fruits: Blue-black edible berries without bloom, each holding ten nutlets; August to September.
Habitat: Dry hillsides, oak and pine woods, thickets, pond shores.
Range: Throughout New England, west to Minnesota and south to Georgia.
Similar Species: Blue Huckleberry has larger leaves and long-stalked flowers and fruits. Blueberries lack resinous dots on the leaves.
Comments: Studies have shown that dispersal by seed is limited, whereas vegetative regeneration by rhizomes is extensive.
