Vaccinium ovalifolium is a plant found in coastal forests throughout southern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

Growth

It is a spreading shrub which may grow to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. It has pink 1/4 in urn-shaped flowers.

Food uses

It is used by residents in jams and jellies and for making liqueur. The leaves are used for tea. Blueberry tea can be made from the leaves of the blueberry plant or from the juice of the blueberries themselves. In the winter, the shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

 is an important food source for grazing deer, goats, and elk

Elk

The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

, and in the summer the nectar feeds hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...

s.

External links

• ITIS Standard Report Page: Vaccinium ovalifolium