The
abundant resinous leaves on its slender gray branches are pale
and hoary beneath. The caterpillars of several species of sulphur
butterflies (Colias) feed on huckleberry leaves.
To a genus quite distinct from the huckleberries belong the true
blueberries, however interchangeably these names are misused.
Perhaps the first species to send its fruit to market in June and
July is the DWARF, SUGAR, or LOW-BUSH BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium
Pennsylvanicum), sometimes six inches tall, never more than
twenty inches. It prefers sandy or rocky soil from southern New
Jersey far northward, and west to Illinois. Shortly after the
small, bell-shaped, white or pink flowers, that grow in racemes
on the ends or sides of the angular, green, warty branches of
nearly all blueberry bushes, have been fertilized by bees, this
species forms an especially sweet berry with a bloom on its blue
surface. The alternate oblong leaves, smooth and green on both
sides, are very finely and sharply saw-edged.
Another, and perhaps the commonest, as it is the finest, species,
whose immature fruit is still green or red when the dwarf's is
ripe, is the HIGH-BUSH, TALL, or SWAMP BLUEBERRY (V.
Pages:
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575