Kingdom Plantae Family Ericaceae Rank Species | Order Ericales Genus Vaccinium | |
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Similar Vaccinium caesariense, Vaccinium tenellum, Vaccinium hirsutum, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium myrtilloides | ||
Vaccinium boreale, common name northern blueberry, sweet hurts or (in French) bleuet boréal, is a plant species native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It has been reported from Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York State. It grows in tundra (arctic or alpine), rocky uplands and in open conifer forests at elevations up to 2000 m (6700 feet).
Vaccinium boreale is a small shrub up to 9 cm (3.6 inches) tall, forming dense colonies of many individuals. Twigs are green, angled, with lines of hairs. Leaves are deciduous, narrowly elliptic, up to 21 mm (0.85 inches) long, with teeth along the margins. Flowers are white, up to 4 mm long. Berries are blue, up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) across.