Sparkleberry
By LYNN ARTZ, DAVID RODDENBERRY, and SANDY TEDDER
Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) is a lovely semi-evergreen large shrub or small tree with year-round beauty. In spring, many 2–3-inch clusters of showy white bell-shaped flowers dangle for weeks and attract pollinators. Shiny black berries feed wildlife. Small oval leaves turn burgundy in fall and persist. Attractive flaking bark reveals reddish color beneath. Sparkleberry grows 10-25’ tall and 4-10’ wide in sandy soil and prefers part shade. Also called farkleberry, it is a larval host for striped hairstreak and Henry’s elfin butterflies and is important to native bees. The fruit on this tallest of the blueberries is edible but not tasty and is usually left for birds. This underutilized slow-growing, long-lived native is drought tolerant, wind resistant, and easy to maintain. Sparkleberry is displaying its fall color in Sopchoppy Depot Park.
