Vaccinium gaultheriifolium – Chinese blueberry

Vaccinium gaultheriifolium

Family: Ericaceae

Common names: Chinese Blueberry

A blueberry relative bearing fleshy fruits very similar in size and shape to the common blueberry, though sometimes slightly larger. The fruits are edible though virtually unknown and the plant is extremely rare in cultivation. A bushy tree with a spreading but clumped growth habit, usually growing to no more than 1-2m. The plant is evergreen, with large, ornamental leaves. Flowering generally occurs during spring and a single small bush can have a few thousand flowers, most of which set fruits, which ripen a few months later. The fruits can stay ripe on the plant for a few months.

Sowing instructions: Sow seeds in summer in a well drained medium.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: June 2024