Vaccinium delavayii - Delavay Blueberry, Dwarf Chinese Blueberry
This rare, compact, hardy ornamental is native to China and Myanmar where it grows in mixed Tsuga and Rhododendron forests in a variety of locations. It grows up to a height of just 350mm to 500mm or even prostrate and is very slow growing. Interestingly it can be a terrestrial plant or epiphytic.
This lovely evergreen shrub has small rounded leaves 6-12 mm across, glossy with rounded ends. They are smooth leaves with no hairs and very densely clustered together. The stems are quite strong and bristly and can be a little brittle. New growing tips are red tinted and leaves are a lighter brighter green with older leaves taking on a darker green and slightly leathery look. Very attractive and sort after.
Flowers are borne on the tips of the very short branchlets and start off with pink buds and open white to 4mm across finishing as creamy white flowers flushed with pink in early summer.
They are followed by dark blueish/deep crimson/black berries about 5mm across like small blueberries. Of course the well known blue berry is a close relation.
Very light pruning may be required evry few years just to keep it looking nice.
Vaccinium is an ancient and sometimes disputed name referring to Vaccinium myrtillus or Whortleberry, Bilberry or Blueberry. V delavayi is named for the French Jesuit Missionary, botanist and explorer Jean Marie Delavay who discovered this plant and introduced it to cultivation. It was introduced into the UK in 1915.
This lovely evergreen shrub has small rounded leaves 6-12 mm across, glossy with rounded ends. They are smooth leaves with no hairs and very densely clustered together. The stems are quite strong and bristly and can be a little brittle. New growing tips are red tinted and leaves are a lighter brighter green with older leaves taking on a darker green and slightly leathery look. Very attractive and sort after.
Flowers are borne on the tips of the very short branchlets and start off with pink buds and open white to 4mm across finishing as creamy white flowers flushed with pink in early summer.
They are followed by dark blueish/deep crimson/black berries about 5mm across like small blueberries. Of course the well known blue berry is a close relation.
Very light pruning may be required evry few years just to keep it looking nice.
Vaccinium is an ancient and sometimes disputed name referring to Vaccinium myrtillus or Whortleberry, Bilberry or Blueberry. V delavayi is named for the French Jesuit Missionary, botanist and explorer Jean Marie Delavay who discovered this plant and introduced it to cultivation. It was introduced into the UK in 1915.