Flower profile

Mayberry

Vaccinium elliottii

Mayberry (Vaccinium elliottii) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–March across the U.S.

Native to Mississippi

Mayberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in January–March.

11states where USDA records it

424MS sightings*

1,955U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Mississippi

Quick look

Vaccinium elliottii is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group. It is native to the southeastern and south-central United States.
From Wikipedia's article Vaccinium elliottii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–March. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 424 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #59 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in January–March.

Flowering records by month in Mississippi (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (148 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: TN (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Fruits are highly edible fresh or cooked.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records mayberry in 11 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tishomingo, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Mayberry a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 5.6 and winter lows down to -3 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.5 to 5.6
Minimum temperature tolerated: -3 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 190
Annual precipitation range: 36 to 50 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Blue · Spring to Spring
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for VAEL. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Cyanococcus elliottii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 227 counties across 10 states; the most are in Alabama (57), Mississippi (47), Louisiana (37).

Other Vaccinium on Bloomipedia (10): Sparkleberry, Lingonberry, Lowbush blueberry, Large cranberry, Bog bilberry, Shiny blueberry, Grouse whortleberry, Thinleaf huckleberry, 'ohelo 'ai, ʻōhelo kau lāʻau.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More Mississippi flowers

Sparkleberry

Vaccinium arboreum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: March–May

Mountain azalea

Rhododendron canescens

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: March–April

Satsuki azalea

Rhododendron indicum

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Mississippi gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VAEL.
iNaturalist, Vaccinium elliottii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Vaccinium elliottii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Vaccinium elliottii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Samuel A Schmid, PhD, PWS via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.