Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Creeping Blueberry - Vaccinium crassifolium   Andrews
Members of Ericaceae:
Members of Vaccinium with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Ericales » Family Ericaceae
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AuthorAndrews
DistributionEssentially throughout the southern two-thirds of the Coastal Plain, and also along the southeastern edge of the Piedmont. However, absent from the far northeastern counties.

Though it occurs in dozens of counties in eastern NC, it ranges north only to southeastern VA and south through the SC Coastal Plain and barely into eastern GA. Thus, it is essentially a Carolina endemic species.
AbundanceOften common to locally abundant in Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) areas, though it occurs in fire-dependent habitats that are declining or in need of frequent fire. Away from Longleaf Pine stands it can be uncommon and local, and it is scarce in the eastern Piedmont.
HabitatThis is a characteristic species of Longleaf Pine flatwoods and sandhills/pocosin ecotones. It occurs in drier savannas, and also is present in other stands of pines in the Piedmont and northern Coastal Plain, especially in thin soil.
PhenologyBlooms in April and May; fruits in June and July.
IdentificationThis is a creeping vine-like shrub with tiny, elliptical evergreen leaves (only 1/4-1/2-inch long), making it one of the easier plants to identify. The short branches that come off the creeping stem can be erect or leaning. It can often form loose mats on the ground, but mostly it forms low evergreen tangles up to 6-12 inches high. In some places, such as Paint Hill in Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, the species can form extensive patches covering many meters across.
Taxonomic CommentsEssentially none

Other Common Name(s)None
State RankS5
Global RankG4G5 [G5]
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B.A. SorrieSandhills Game Land, flatwoods E of US 15-501, Apr 2008. ScotlandPhoto_natural
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