Horticulturist Jennifer Trehane, a professional berry grower in Dorset, England, penned this handy reference to vacciniums for the Royal Horticultural Society's Plant Collector Guide series.
"For the purposes of this book, the botanical descriptions of what I would call the 'cooler climate' vacciniums are given, as are those that are native to North America and Europe and have been the subject of study over many years, as well as those that have garden merit or are in cultivation as food crops," Trehane explains. Many rare, unusual, neotropical or tropical species of vacciniums are not covered in this text.
Following an introductory chapter on the genus vaccinium, Trehane devotes three separate sections of the book to Cranberries and Lingonberries, Blueberries, and finally to Vacciniums as Garden Plants.
In the Blueberries section, Trehane sorts out the distinctions between the "lowbush" varieties common to New England and eastern Canada and the "highbush" blueberries of New Jersey, as well as the "southern highbush" and "southern lowbush" berries of Australia and New Zealand.
"Cultivated northern highbush blueberries are regarded as the Rolls Royce of blueberries," Trehane points out. "They are larger and have greater eye appeal than lowbush or wild blueberries, although many would say that the latter's smaller size produces a more concentrated blueberry flavor."
In addition to its bountiful advice and instruction on the cultivation of edible blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries and many of their relatives, this book also provides guidance on controlling pests and avoiding disease.