Blueberry bush

Vaccinium are blueberries but also cranberries, also called cannerberges or red cranberries. Classified among the 'small fruits', they are bushes of the Ericaceae family, grown for their edible and delicious berries; red for the cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), or almost black for the famous blueberries. They are harvested in summer or autumn, for example to fill pies, make excellent jams, or to accompany certain savory dishes. The main species cultivated in our gardens derive from the European Blueberry - Vaccinium myrtillus - a shrub of 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20in), and its American counterpart - Vaccinium corymbosum - or Blueberry, a bush that reaches 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5ft) depending on the varieties. The Cranberry - Vaccinium macrocarpon - on the other hand, is a small groundcover shrub of 30 cm (12in) in height. They all produce tasty berries, more or less sweet or tangy. To bear fruit, blueberry plants need one to three companion plants planted alongside them, of the same or a different variety. Cranberries, on the other hand, are self-fertile, and a single plant will bear fruit. Vaccinium are very cold-resistant shrubs that require a rather acidic soil, such as a heathland soil, which remains moist throughout the year.