Bloomipedia
Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)
Photo: Ryan Watson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Sparkleberry

Vaccinium arboreum

Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) is a shrub or small tree in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Sparkleberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

17states where USDA records it
4Bloomipedia state lists include it
10,034U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina

Quick look

Vaccinium arboreum is a species of Vaccinium native to the southeastern and south-central United States.

  • It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi. NatureServe
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 28 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 1,520 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #49 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,104 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #43 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 646 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #49 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (745 records)
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
GeorgiaNativeApril–May1,520
AlabamaNativefew records (45)1,104
South CarolinaNativeApril–May646
MississippiNativeMarch–May544

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
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
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: KS (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 peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. 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 sparkleberry in 17 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Atkinson, Baker, Baldwin, Barrow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Clarke, Colquitt, Columbia, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dooly, Echols, Elbert, Floyd, Forsyth, Glascock, Glynn, Hall, Hancock, Harris, Heard, Jeff Davis, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Mitchell, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Pike, Rabun, Rockdale, Seminole, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Upson, Walker, Walton, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox, Worth.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Sparkleberry a low shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.0 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -13 °F.

Shade tolerance
Low
Drought tolerance
Medium
Moisture use
Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium
Soil pH range
4.0 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated
-13 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
180
Annual precipitation range
35 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth
12 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Low
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Long
Active growth period
Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed
Black · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability
No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for VAAR. 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): Batodendron andrachniforme, Batodendron arboreum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 679 counties across 16 states; the most are in Georgia (72), Arkansas (67), Alabama (65).

Other Vaccinium on Bloomipedia (10): Lingonberry, Lowbush blueberry, Large cranberry, Bog bilberry, Shiny blueberry, Grouse whortleberry, Thinleaf huckleberry, 'ohelo 'ai, Mayberry, 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 Georgia flowers

Striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: May–June
Rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron)

Rhododendrons and azaleas

Rhododendron

★ GA state wildflower

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–July
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

★ CT state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in GA: April–May

Sources