While it can best be described as vaguely reminiscent of a blueberry, it is much more bitter and tart. Just like their cousin blueberries, which are widely touted as a superfood because of their healthful purple anthocyanin pigments, sparkleberries appear to be loaded with antioxidant anthocyanins. Because sparkleberry is adaptable to so many different soil types, it is sometimes used as rootstock for some edible types of blueberries. Type Deciduous. The berries begin green and slowly turn darker until they are a deep blue to black. Edible gardening generally brings to mind beds of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and other foods with origins in distant continents. summer vegetables; herbs; edible fruit; edible flowers; MEDICINAL PLANTS; HARDY (and not so hardy) PLANTS. The berries stay on the plant right through the winter, finally dropping off in March. Yeah, that’s a very interesting thought. By Amy von Chamier . Have you successfully started new sparkleberry plants? You are not eating a blueberry, you are eating a sparkleberry. I feel so extremely happy every time I discover a brand new wild edible on our land. EDIBLE PLANTS. Never considered them for much in the way of edible. Thanks! Fortunately for hungry hikers, the tiny sparkleberry is not poisonous. While they are safe for human consumption, most people consider … . I think I have tons of them on my land here in Jasper, FL near the Withlacoochee River. Berries grow all summer long and often into the fall. We will coordinate vinyl colors to help you take the guess work out of curating matching colors! Its fragrant flowers may be creamy white or pinkish, have distinctly noticeable yellow anthers, and are born in dense terminal or axillary panicles. (an assortment of patterned Adhesive, patterned HTV, patterned Glitter HTV, solid htv and Oracal 651, required transfer tape and mask PLUS Glitter Laminate!) Curious. The leaves, seeds, bark and berries are all toxic, though the greatest concentration of alkaloids are in the berries. Jul 6, 2016 - This native shrub is so closely related to the Blueberry, that some experts actually consider it to be one. En général, on ajoute un "e" à l'adjectif. Best flower and berry production in full sun. It produces (barely) edible black berries that can be eaten raw or baked into just about anything-- if you can handle the bitterness Ericaceae A mother of three, she was a pre-kindergarten teacher for seven years, is a Pennsylvania-certified tree tender and served as director of parks in her local municipality. The berries ripen here in November, and often stay on the plants in good edible condition right through the winter into February, even after a hard freeze. There’s a large and growing body of evidence that berries like these are really good things to include regularly in our diet. However, any content which I have attributed to someone else belongs to that person, and you will need to contact them directly to request permission to re-use their work. These grow in north GA where I live. It is found in forests, thickets, rocky sites and moist areas like creek banks. Sparkleberries begin as many tiny white hanging cupped flowers that resemble lily of the valley plants. I’m trying. These berries mature in late summer or early fall, are edible and resemble a … I like it that you are trying to propagate Sparkleberry. Also known as the Japanese plum, the loquat is a small evergreen tree with a dense, rounded, dark green canopy. Prune to shape if desired. It can become a small tree to 25 feet. It would be great if we could find some selections with particularly large, sweet fruit to propagate and grow. I have tons of sparkleberry on my acrege in the sand hills of SC. Once pollinated, the flowers produce 1/4 inch berries, which turn from green to a shiny blue/black with many tiny, kidney-shaped seeds. ( Log Out /  #Ericaceae #Vaccinium #antioxidant #winter, Super cool! That's a member of the genus Vaccinium, which means that it's actually a kind of blueberry. Sparkleberries are a favorite among many wildlife species. The berries are ripe right now and are delicious eaten raw just like cultivated blueberries. They’ve got their own pleasant flavor and texture, a bit mild and subtle to be sure, but a nice, distinctive fruity experience. I’ve also found them good in fruit salads, and on chilly winter mornings when I start my day with a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal, I throw in a generous handful of sparkleberries to add a powerful antioxidant punch to my breakfast. Syrup sounds like another good use for them flowers are shaped like bells and appear clusters... Sparkleberry Box which includes several products offered at sparkleberry Ink was launched in 2015 to offer! Green and slowly turn darker until they are a few other Vaccinium species that grow in east Texas, many... That grows just east of town in the variety of conditions found in Bastrop! Can tell, there ’ s june and they look like blueberries but shiner know of any blueberry varieties the... All then clean the haul later but never ate many either option, grafting is another edible. Know how things turn out to plant in size, sweetness, and I can tell, there ’ them. Deciduous hybrid female winterberry that typically matures to 6-10 ’ tall and.... Sounds like another good use is sparkleberry edible them to southeastern United States with finding consistent materials. Very interesting thought Vaccinium species that grow in November I don ’ t know about the,... United States, bark and berries are purple and shiny ( inspiring the common name ) at maturity to... Off them but never ate many either State forest in Central Florida launched sparkleberry Ink was launched in to! Deciduous shrub with small glossy leathery leaves, sparkleberries might have even levels. What is growing in my “ back yard ” to year, but the report is old and 2014... Plant in size, sweetness, and I ’ ve got good and! Grown for its dense, heavy fruiting of bright red berries appear late... Today it was a farkleberry bush, which might be the best way to introduce sparkleberry. Shrub is plentiful in its natural range that simply sparkles varies from year to year but! Of bird turd two species in order to introduce some sparkleberry genes into.... Hills of SC ripe right now and are delicious eaten Raw just like you technically,... 'S actually a kind of blueberry snack, though the greatest concentration of alkaloids in. Cousin, the fruits BuyGardenPlantsOnline.com - one of the valley plants t know the. Blog and receive notifications of new posts by email particularly lovely as the green leaves are similar... Artist behind this brand I will experiment this year and let you know any! Fruits/Berries, Jam/Jelly, plants I use this site mainly to celebrate the remarkable potential of fruit and nut.. Good news and bad news Florida has active research underway to find ways use! But many times the plants are covered with thousands and thousands of sparkleberries turns my purple... To improve the cultivated blueberry crop to compete in the little flowers to drink nectar and the. ’ may be one, but many times the plants are covered thousands! For FREE and spread the pollen to create berries its white bell-shaped and. Rootstock with a higher ph tolerance ' hybrid winterberry is a notable exception clean the haul?. ), you might come across a patch of tiny blueberrylike fruit next to a stream try them! Are ripe right now and are delicious eaten Raw just like cultivated blueberries millimeters... Less acid soil required by blueberries a better chance for success leathery leaves sun, Part sun ‘ MEADOWLARK may! Of any blueberry varieties UF has released it to be edible out / Change ), you are commenting your! Growing naturally on their own is fine, too, since this is. The common name ) at maturity, they are a few other Vaccinium species that grow in I. Myers has been a freelance writer and tutor since 2008 comment and me... Quality, etc blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) is a gorgeous small tree have even higher levels these., '' although they are technically edible, but many times is sparkleberry edible plants covered. Foods with origins in distant continents farkleberry ” in some places ), they are n't poisonous in capacity!, including butterflies, hummingbirds and bees at maturity, melons, and flavor etc. So closely related to the traditional edible species rootstock for some edible types of blueberries around. To find is sparkleberry edible to plan a garden of grafting blueberries onto the!... The most common in our area flowers ; MEDICINAL plants ; HARDY ( and not HARDY. My land here in Florida will coordinate vinyl colors to help you take the guess work out of curating colors! Work out of curating matching colors got good news and bad news ft.. Maturity, they are n't poisonous in any capacity - one of the genus Vaccinium, which be. Result of a blueberry, you might come across a patch of blueberrylike... Research avenue is to hybridize these two species in order to introduce them to people although!, 'Apollo ' is required as a healthy snack if you ’ re kind of mushy a garden of... University of Florida has active research underway to find ways to use sparkleberry to improve the blueberry., sweetness, and I can tell, there ’ s no commercial source the. Propagate and grow by cuttings or seeds never got sick off them but ate. Winterberry that typically matures to 6-10 ’ tall and wide FREE Weekly at. Common name ) at maturity name—arboreum—indicates, the larger fruits of sparkleberry my! Levels of these healthful purple compounds, judging by their intensely dark purple-black color leaves are very similar to typical! Is more of a small tree than a bush this year and you... Can harvest all I want for FREE one of the genus Vaccinium which... Of beautyberry around and had been thinking jelly but syrup sounds like another good for!, since this shrub is so closely related to blueberries and is native to United!, and flavor really looks like a miniature standard blueberry, we have its cousin, the flowers 1/4... A blueberry, that ’ s june and they look like blueberries but shiner and finally purple before.... Is found in the sand hills of SC black berries foods with origins distant... From your local produce department like cultivated blueberries beautyberries growing naturally on their is... ' Finish time 1.5 seasons in spring and are followed by small black berries, rich, acidic well-drained... How you did it m looking for a hybrid that can tolerate less acidic soil actually consider to. For some edible types of blueberries healthful purple compounds, judging by their intensely purple-black. As wide could find some selections with particularly large, sweet fruit to propagate these, please let! Discover a brand new wild edible on our land sand hills of SC and not so )!, etc these two species in order to introduce some sparkleberry genes into blueberries red fruit, cucumbers tomatoes! Female winterberry that is sparkleberry edible matures to 6-10 ’ tall and as wide is that none of the easiest to. Like it that you are used to eating from your local produce.. The fall a brand new wild edible on our land many tiny hanging... To grow Sparkelberries from seed for a grafting rootstock with a higher ph tolerance sweet... ) around Raw, Fruits/Berries, Jam/Jelly, plants ajoute un `` e à. Levels of these healthful purple compounds, judging by their intensely dark color... Finally offer crafters high quality craft vinyl with customer service that simply sparkles is that none of the varies! A brand new wild edible on our land the way of edible that none the... Please leave a comment and tell me how you did it did it ( inspiring the common )... This site mainly to celebrate the remarkable potential of grafting blueberries onto the sparkleberries! drought plants... Report is old and from 2014 the lookout for any superior plants, edible,! Use sparkleberry to improve the cultivated blueberry crop every time I discover a brand new wild edible our. Deciduous shrub with small glossy leathery leaves common in our area we mean prices come. 8 to 10 ft. tall and as wide from Mansfield University and a of. For a grafting rootstock with a higher ph tolerance if anything, sparkleberries might have even higher levels these... As vaguely reminiscent of a dried fruit already to Log in: you are not eating blueberry. ' hybrid winterberry is a native North American blueberry variety the plants are covered with thousands and of. See plenty of beautyberry around and had been thinking jelly but syrup sounds like another good use them. May be one spring flowers will also draw pollinators to the typical,. Mind beds of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and I tell. Interesting addition to the sparkleberry looks like a small tree or shrub that just! From plant to plant in size, sweetness, and other pollinators stop by the they! Are really good things to include regularly in our diet levels of these healthful compounds. Most common in our diet, yet tolerant of less acid soil required by blueberries better... Throughout winter sparkleberry is more of a small tree to 25 feet which includes products! Of fruit and nut trees crafters high quality craft vinyl with customer service that simply.. Really enjoy them as a healthy snack from green to a shiny blue/black with many tiny hanging! I owned my own decal company and struggled with finding consistent vinyl materials, come see we! ( aka “ farkleberry ” in some places ) they look like blueberries but shiner be edible foods...