The fruit of Vaccinium stamineum, a wild diploid species, exhibits an unusually large size compared to other wild relatives. Fruit diameters generally range between 5 mm and 16 mm, although some exceptional plants have produced berries up to 19 mm in diameter. This variation in size appears to be positively correlated with the number of seeds developing within each fruit. Studies have shown that the number of potentially viable seeds per berry ranges from 5 to 29. Notably, the largest average fruit sizes have been observed in populations growing in Lexington County, South Carolina, and along the coastal border of North and South Carolina, suggesting that regional environmental factors may influence fruit development.
The color of mature V. stamineum fruit is highly diverse, displaying a broad spectrum that includes greenish-white, yellowish, light and dark red, blue, purple-blue, purple-black, reddish-black, and dark purple. This wide range of coloration adds to the species' visual appeal and may indicate differing levels of ripeness or genetic variation across populations. The surface of the berries may either be glaucous—covered with a whitish waxy coating—or glabrous, lacking such coating. There is a noticeable association between glaucousness on the fruit and on the plant's vegetative parts, with the most glaucous specimens commonly found in the sandhill regions of South Carolina.
Taste-wise, the fruits typically have a slightly bitter skin, although sweetness and bitterness vary considerably between individual plants and regions. Interestingly, the most palatable fruits, characterized by a more favorable balance of sweetness and reduced bitterness, are also found in the sandhill areas of South Carolina. Upon ripening, the berries tend to detach from the plant and fall to the ground. Due to the continuity between the calyx tube and the pedicel, the pedicel remains firmly attached to the fruit post-detachment, a feature useful in identifying ripe specimens in the field.
Fruit Characteristics of Wild Vaccinium stamineum in the Southeastern U.S
