Flower profile
Mayberry
Vaccinium elliottii
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.
*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.
- 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 #54 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Mayberry gift ideas
Handmade mayberry gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Mayberry art print
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Mayberry greeting card
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Mayberry mug
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Mayberry earrings
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Mayberry embroidery pattern
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Mayberry sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in January–March.
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?
NC State Extension notes: “Fruits are highly edible fresh or cooked.” NC State Extension
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.
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.
More Mississippi flowers
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.