Sparkleberry is a small, deciduous to evergreen shrub or tree that may grow 10 to 20 feet tall. It can be found in rocky woodlands, sandy woodlands, and on cliffs. The leaves are alternate with a smooth or finely toothed margin. The bark is shredded and patchy with reds, browns, and grays present. In early summer, small, white, bell-shaped flowers mature. In the fall, this plant has excellent color. The tall shrub produces a black fruit that matures in the fall and is a good food source for wildlife. Growing on racemes, the 1/4" flowers bloom for a short period, from late spring to early summer. The bloom period extends for approximately 3 weeks. Once the fertile flowers bloom, they are replaced by berries that will mature in the fall. Each berry can contain up to 10 seeds which will reseed itself. Wildlife eat the berries. The upper surface of the leaves are medium green, glabrous and have a slight shine. The underside is a pale green, glabrous to finely pubescent, the fine hairs occur along the central veins of the leaf. While it is usually deciduous, the plant may stay evergreen throughout the winter in warmer southern regions. Sparkleberry grows best in sun to partial shade and likes dry to moist sandy or rocky soil. It is drought and heat tolerant and a high-value wildlife plant. The tallest of the genus blueberries, it is often referred to as huckleberry. Fire Risk: This plant has a medium flammability rating. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Vaccinium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Has leathery, glossy dark green leaves, 1-3 inches long and half as wide. The lower leaf surface is pale green and glabrous to finely pubescent. The leaves show red to crimson fall color.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small white fragrant bell-shaped flowers form on racemes that occur singly or in clusters of 2-5 and are 2 inches long. Individual flowers are 1/4 inch long and wide. Blooms late spring to early summer (April-June).
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
It has gritty non-juicy berries that last into the winter. Fruits appear between September and October. Female plants cannot produce fruit on their own.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Bark exfoliates and is composed of grays, rich browns, oranges, and reddish-browns.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Branches and older twigs are gray and relatively smooth. Young twigs are reddish-brown. This single trunked shrub or small tree typically has a trunk up to 6" across.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
SE North America
Distribution
AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA
Wildlife value
This plant provides nectar for pollinators and supports Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) larvae which have one flight and appear from May to July in the North and March to April in the South. Adult Brown Elfin butterflies feed on flower nectar. The fruit is eaten by songbirds, small mammals, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys and black bears. It provides winter cover. Members of the genus Vaccinium support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Conandrena) bradleyi, Andrena (Andrena) carolina, Panurginus atramontensis, Habropoda laboriosa, Colletes productus, Colletes validus, and Osmia (Melanosmia) virga.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds; Specialized Bees