← Bedfellow

Deerberry

Vaccinium stamineum

Taller bluebery relative with open spreading habit and distinctive flared (not urn-shaped) white bell flowers showing prominent stamens. Greenish-yellow fruits are sour — birds and deer eat them readily, but not great for humans.

Family

Ericaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

3–6 ft

Spacing

3–6 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

May, June

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

pollinators, songbirds

Caterpillar hosts

~294 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen, foundation

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV