Vaccinium angustifolium
lowbush blueberry [Blooms: May]
Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) flowers. Right: a cluster of lowbush blueberry flowers. The bell-like corolla with recurved triangular lobes is apparent; the green calyx can be seen on the two lowermost flowers. In the few flowers tiled towards the horizontal, the stigma and style can be seen. Bottom left: a view into the interior of the lowbush blueberry corolla. The tip of the stigma and the expanded, greenish stigma are easily visible; the top edges of the reddish anthers are also visible. Top left: a view straight up the corolla of lowbush blueberry. The reddish anthers can be seen, clustered around the shaft of the style with the stigma reaching the edge of the corolla.
Clusters of lowbush blueberry’s flowers develop on the previous year’s twigs. The flowers are about 1/4″ long, urn- or bell-shaped, nodding, white, and waxy. The flowers contain a short, green calyx with five teeth; a short, tubular corolla that is pinkish white or white with five triangular, recurved lobes around its margin; ten stamens with reddish brown anthers recessed behind the margin of the corolla and clustered around the style; and a single style whose stigma extends right to the margin of the corolla. Fertilized flowers are replaced by approximately 8 mm diameter berries, initially green but turning dark blue with a whitish bloom as they mature. (I.e., they look — and taste — like blueberries.)
Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) stems and leaves. Left: a main stem and numerous branches of a lowbush blueberry. Bottom right: lowbush blueberry’s alternate leaves. On this plant, the orangish-red color apparently becomes progressively restricted to the leaf margins as the leaves mature. Top right: a different plant in the same year as the one figured below; here the reddish orange color of the alternate leaves persisted.
Lowbush blueberry is a native shrub that grows only 6-24″ tall; it is the source of commercial blueberries in New England and the Canadian maritime provinces. Older shrubs have woody trunks and branches that are covered with reddish brown or gray shredded bark; twigs and young shoots are green or brownish red. In some years, the lowbush blueberry plants in Jackson Park produce leaves with an orangish-red tinge. The leaves are alternate, 3/4-1.5″ long and a third to half as wide, medium to dark green, elliptic in outline and pointed on both ends, with finely serrated margins and short (1/8″) petioles.
A lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) on the south shore of 59th St. Harbor. Only one flower remains on this plant, but an enlarged view of lowbush blueberry blooms is given in the insert on the lower right.
Lowbush blueberry is a native shrub that grows only 6-24″ tall; it is the source of commercial blueberries in New England and the Canadian maritime provinces. Older shrubs have woody trunks and branches that are covered with reddish brown or gray shredded bark; twigs and young shoots are green or brownish red. In some years, the lowbush blueberry plants in Jackson Park produce leaves with an orangish-red tinge. The leaves are alternate, 3/4-1.5″ long and a third to half as wide, medium to dark green, elliptic in outline and pointed on both ends, with finely serrated margins and short (1/8″) petioles. Clusters of flowers develop on the previous year’s twigs. The flowers are about 1/4″ long, urn- or bell-shaped, nodding, white, and waxy. The flowers contain a short, green calyx with five teeth; a short, tubular corolla that is pinkish white or white with five triangular, recurved lobes around its margin; ten stamens with reddish brown anthers recessed behind the margin of the corolla and clustered around the style; and a single style whose stigma extends right to the margin of the corolla. Fertilized flowers are replaced by approximately 8 mm diameter berries, initially green but turning dark blue with a whitish bloom as they mature. (I.e., they look — and taste — like blueberries.)
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![Evening primrose — clusters of yellow flowers occur at the apex of the plant. The flowers are 1-2" across, with four 1/2-1" long green sepals strongly reflected over a long (3/4-2"), green, cylindrical floral tube (the ovary is located just above the leaf axil), four heart-shaped yellow petals, eight stamens, and a single style with an X-shaped stigma. The sepals typically remain connected (in pairs) along one edge until the flower opens. The seedpods develop within the ovary (the base of the elongate floral tube); they are hairy, urn-shaped with rounded edges, and have four or eight small lobes on the apex. The seeds are claimed to remain viable in the soil for up to 70 years. The flowers open at dusk and close early in the day. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_biennis-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Northern evening primrose flowers are 3/4-1.5" across, have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; the stamens are as long or longer than the petals and the stigma is nearly fills the floral opening. At the base of the flower are four sepals 1/2-1" long, that bend back along the 3/4-1.5" long floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. Only northern evening primrose with a distinct ridge or knob near the tips of the sepals. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is 3/4-1.5" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four robust, flaring lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals and is the only one of the three evening primroses to (sometimes) have reddish color on some or all of the midvein of the leaves. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_parviflora-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Hairy evening primrose produves an elongating spike of flowers arises from the apex of the stem; flowers bloom near the tip while older flowers and seed capsules develop below. Individual flowers are 3/4-1.5" across; they sit on a long floral tube with the ovary at its base (attached to a leaf axil). The flowers have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; at the base of the flower are four sepals 3/8-3/4" long, reflected back along the floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. The sepals are often red-striped or red-tinged. Note the long, hairy floral tube below the sepals, the reddish stem, and glandular hairs with red bases on the ovary. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is up to 1.75" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four tiny lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_villosa-1t-300x300.jpg)
