Elliott's Blueberry (Vaccinium elliottii)

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In Winter, at first glance you’d be tempted to dismiss this plant as dead or just dismiss it because it's so easy to overlook. But when you look closer the stems are green. It’s alive.

Blossom buds first appeared in early March

Plants start to put out leaves after a couple of weeks and...

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Blossoms develop over the next 2-3 weeks. European bees (Apis mellifera) and Common Eastern Bumble Bees (Bombus impatiens) were buzzing around the bushes as the flowers matured. I've watched these bees harvesting pollen from our blueberries at home. They pierce the flower at the base of the flower near the stem to harvest the pollen and leave holes in the flowers. I've never seen blueberries on these bushes. I did, however, see a squirrel running back and forth over one of the larger bushes looking like it was gathering something - probably blueberries.

Elliott’s Blueberry is native to the southeastern United States. They are found from Virginia to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas. I’ve only seen it around the lake at Fort Yargo State Park, particularly along segments 2 and 3.
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Distribution Map:
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott's Blueberry)

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Elliott's Blueberry (Vaccinium elliottii)

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower