Deerberry

Vaccinium stamineum

native


Other Names:
Squaw Huckleberry, Highbush Huckleberry, Buckberry, Southern Gooseberry


Deerberry is a common native deciduous shrub found throughout Virginia. It usually grows to be 5 feet high, but can grow to be twice that tall. It is pollinated by bees and starts to bloom in April; it stays in bloom until June. The name comes from deer eating the ripe fruit, which ripens in the late summer and early fall. Birds and mammals also eat the berries. Deerberry is in the same genus as some of the shrubs that produce huckleberries, and the berries are sometimes called Squaw or Highbush Huckleberries.

Identification Tools

Missouri Botanical Garden Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Go Botany iNaturalist

Ranges

North America Virginia

Deerberry
Deerberry bush in bloom

Deerberry leaves
Deerberry bush in bloom

Deerberry leaves
Deerberry bush in bloom

Deerberry flowers
Deerberry flowers - Photo by Judy Gallagher

Deerberry flowers
Deerberry flowers opening

Deerberry flowers
Deerberry flowers

Deerberry leaves
Deerberry leaves

Deerberry
Deerberry leaves

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