Vaccinium parvifolium is one of at least ten Vaccinium species in British Columbia. It is closely related to cultivated blueberry shrubs.
Description:
V. parvifolium has multiple erect stems that grow up to 4 m in height. The branches are slender, branching at odd angles (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994) and initially are bright green, becoming grayish-brown with age (Tirmenstein 1990). The small simple leaves are oval with rounded tips and are no larger than 3 cm long (Tirmenstein 1990). New leaves emerge on this deciduous shrub in spring and persist until heavy frost in winter; a few leaves persist throughout the year (Tirmenstein 1990). The single green, white or pink urn-shaped flowers bloom in the spring (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994). Each flower will develop into a round bright red fruit (or berry) (Klinkenberg 2017).
Ecology:
V. parvifolium is found from southern Alaska to central California in coastal regions, at elevations below 2000 m (Klinkenberg 2017). It is a common understory component of coniferous forests, especially in western hemlock and Douglas fir communities (Tirmenstein 1990). They are less abundant in deciduous forests (Kennedy & Quinn 2001).
V. parvifolium is often found at forest edges or under canopy openings (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994), but it is shade tolerant (Klinka et al. 1989). It grows in a variety of nutrient conditions, including nitrogen-poor (Klinka et al. 1989) and acidic soils (Tirmenstein 1990). V. parvifolium is more abundant on rotting logs or stumps than on the ground that retain more moisture (Kennedy & Quinn 2001).
V. parvifolium is an important winter food source of elk and deer (Kirchhoff & Larsen 1998). The tart berries, which ripen in August, are an important food source of black bears and grizzly bears as well as small mammals (e.g. skunks, racoons, squirrels and mice), birds (e.g. grouse, towhees, pigeons) (Tirmenstein 1990), and banana slugs (Gervais et al. 1996).
V. parvifolium is often found at forest edges or under canopy openings (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994), but it is shade tolerant (Klinka et al. 1989). It grows in a variety of nutrient conditions, including nitrogen-poor (Klinka et al. 1989) and acidic soils (Tirmenstein 1990). V. parvifolium is more abundant on rotting logs or stumps than on the ground that retain more moisture (Kennedy & Quinn 2001).
V. parvifolium is an important winter food source of elk and deer (Kirchhoff & Larsen 1998). The tart berries, which ripen in August, are an important food source of black bears and grizzly bears as well as small mammals (e.g. skunks, racoons, squirrels and mice), birds (e.g. grouse, towhees, pigeons) (Tirmenstein 1990), and banana slugs (Gervais et al. 1996).
Reproduction and Dispersal:
Following the pollination of the female reproductive structures in the flowers, fertilization occurs and seeds are produced. The seeds are embedded in the fruits (or berries). The birds and other animals (including humans) that eat the berries help to disperse the seeds in their droppings (Tirmenstein 1990). Vegetative reproduction can also occur when shoots arise from underground stems.
References Cited:
Gervais JA, Traveset A, Willson MF. 1996. The potential for seed dispersal by the banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus). 140: 103-110.
Kennedy PG, Quinn T. 2001. Understory plant establishment on old growth stumps and the forest floor in western Washington. Forest Ecology & Management. 154: 193-200.
Kirchhoff MD, Larsen DM. 1998. Dietary overlap between native sitka black-tailed deer and introduced elk in Southeast Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 62: 236-242.
Klinka K, Krajina VJ, Ceska A, Scagel AM. 1989. Indicator plants of coastal British Columbia. Vancouver (BC): University of British Columbia Press.
Klinkenberg B, editor. 2017. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [accessed 2018 Jan 18]. http://http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Vaccinium%20parvifolium .
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
Tirmenstein DA. 1990. Mahonia nervosa. In: Fire effects information system. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Services. [accessed 2017 Jan.1]. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/mahner/all.html.
Kennedy PG, Quinn T. 2001. Understory plant establishment on old growth stumps and the forest floor in western Washington. Forest Ecology & Management. 154: 193-200.
Kirchhoff MD, Larsen DM. 1998. Dietary overlap between native sitka black-tailed deer and introduced elk in Southeast Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 62: 236-242.
Klinka K, Krajina VJ, Ceska A, Scagel AM. 1989. Indicator plants of coastal British Columbia. Vancouver (BC): University of British Columbia Press.
Klinkenberg B, editor. 2017. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [accessed 2018 Jan 18]. http://http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Vaccinium%20parvifolium .
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
Tirmenstein DA. 1990. Mahonia nervosa. In: Fire effects information system. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Services. [accessed 2017 Jan.1]. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/mahner/all.html.