Vaccinium arboreum

Author: Shaun Cristin McGuinn

Common Names:(Cronquist, 1991)

  • Marshall
  • Sparkleberry
  • Farkleberry
  • Tree-Huckleberry
  • Gooseberry
  • Winter-Huckleberry


Higher Taxa:(Cronquist, 1991)

  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Subclass: Dilleniidae
  • Order: Ericales
  • Family: Ericaceae
  • Tribe: Vacciniaceae
  • Genus: Vaccinium
  • Species: Arboreum


Identification:

Radford, Ahles, and Bell describes arboreum as an"erect shrub or small tree to 10m tall; twigs terete, puberulent to glabrate. Leaves coriaceous, evergreen to tardily deciduous, lustrous or rarely dull and glaucous, elliptic, oval or obovate, 2-7 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, entire or serrulate often spinulose, mucronulate. Racemes 2-6 cm long, leafy, from second year growth, resembling lateral branches. Calyx 5-parted, lobes acute, corolla white, campanulate, 5-8 mm long, lobes acute; stamens included. Berry black, lustrous, 5-8 mm long, dry and mealy, long persistent." (Radford, 1968) Vines offers a much more descriptive identification. He adds that the wood is a brown to reddish brown, close-grained, and hard wood weighing about 48 lb per cubic feet while the bark is a gray or grayish brown color that is thin, smooth,with narrow and shredding ridges. The twigs are slender with a light brown to dark brown or grayish color that is divergent, glabrous or puberulous. The ovary is inferior which is an important characteristic of this genus that has a sweet fruit.(Vines, 1960)
An American Quaker, Humphry Marshall, who was a botanist, dendrologist, and farmer discovered the ground Arbustrum americanum on an American groove of species. He alpahabetized the catalogus of forest trees and shrubs native to American United States and arranged the species in the Linnean system. The two herbabariums with his species are Darlington Herbabarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania and the British Museum.(Stafleu, 1981) The original location was not found(Shaun McGuinn).



Geography:

Vaccinium arboreum is native to North America like most vacciniums. It ranges from Virginia to Southern Indiana and Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and south to Florida and Texas. It is widespread in the state of Georgia. It is rare but local in Kentucky, Virginia, Indiania, and Illinois. It is found in Mexico and the West IndiesFor more information on Geography.

Table I: North American Distribution of V. arboreum

Vaccinium arboreum

AREA STATUS REFERENCES
North America:
Continental United States; Canada		 Yes Grimm 1966
Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern Canada		 Yes Grimm 1966
Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV		 Yes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV		 Widespread Radford, Ahles &Bell, 1968
Coastal Plain Yes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968;
Piedmont Widespread Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968;
Blue Ridge Mountains Yes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Yes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Ridge and Valley Yes Jones & Coile, 1988
Cumberland Plateau rare www.
Central Arch No Vander Kloet, 1988
Georgia Widespread Jones & Coile, 1988
Clarke County, Georgia Yes Jones & Coile, 1968
Sams Farm Yes Shaun McGuinn, Pers. Ob.
Old Field No Shaun McGuinn, Pers. Ob.
Wetland No Shaun McGuinn, Pers. Ob.
Woods Yes Shaun McGuinn, Pers. Ob.
1-Hectare Plot No Shaun McGuinn, Pers. Ob.

Figure 1. Images of Vaccinium arboreum illustrating different reproductive phases.
Figure 1A. V. arboreum flower Figure 1B. V. arboreum fruit
Image of V. arboreum fruit (U.G.A.) Image of V. arboruem flower (U.G.A.)
Univ. of Georgia Herbarium Slide Collection Univ of Georgia Herbarium Slide Collection.
Scanned by Elizabeth Skillen Scanned by Elizabeth Skillen



In this species, V. arboreum, the flower is a white color, and the fruit is a black lustrous berry.

Natural History:

Arboreum means treelike habit because it is the only species in its family to get to tree size. It is often draped in Florida with long, stringy grayish moss called Tillandsia.(Matthews, 1915) As a main food source, white-tailed deer, chipmunks, American robin, and other animals eat the food of the shrub; however, its fruit is the only blueberry inedible to humans. Although its fruit is inedible to humans, it has many fascinating uses. The root bark; in an extract form treats diarrhea. The brown, hard, very closed grained wood is used for tool handles.(Vines, 1960) The bark is used for tanning leather.(Matthews, 1915) Ruffled grouse use the thick shrubery as a nesting site. The fruit production is considered erratic; because, in some years, the fruit production will be prolific, while in other years, the shrub may produce no fruit at all. The flowers are abundant and ornamental. For more information on Natural History.

How to Encounter:

Vaccinium arboreum usually blooms late April to June or September to October, but its fruit ripens in the winter. (Vines, 1960) It is located along sandy or rocky ground, usually xeric woodlands. It may also be found in loblolly pines or in climax communities that are seasonlly flooded like bayheads and southern mixed hardwood swamps.www It is one of the few planst of this family which can grow in calcareous soil. It can be located at Sams Farm, which is located off Highway 78, north of Athens, Georgia, just past the 16 mile marker on the left. Shortly after you walk down the path into the woods, is a short tree to your left.

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