|                    Darrow’s blueberry
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                |                    Vaccinium darrowii  
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                |                    Ericaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Widely available in central Florida. Commonly available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Small compact densely-branched shrub with numerous underground branches.  Leaves small, thick and bluish-green, about 1/4 to 2/3 inches long; the new growth is pinkish. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 Typically, 1-2 feet in height.  Spreading from underground stems and forming masses broader than tall. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Slow. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Southeastern United States south to St. Lucie, Hendry and Collier counties; also reported for Martin and Palm Beach counties, where either absent or very rare. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Pinelands. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Moist to dry, well-drained sandy soils, without humus, acid pH. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; does not require any supplemental water once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 White to pink. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Semi-showy. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 Spring. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Blue berry; edible. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                 Provides food and cover for wildlife.  Nectar plant for butterflies and other pollinators.  Birds and other animals eat the fruits. | 
               
                     
                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                | Comments: | 
               
              
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                 Very similar to Vaccinium myrsinites, but with bluish foliage. | 
               
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                    George D. Gann, 2017 In cultivation, Florida
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