Blue Ridge Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) Fruit

Growing at the top of ridges in a dense mixed hardwood/coniferous forest in Northwest Georgia (Gordon County), US.
Growing at the top of ridges in a dense mixed hardwood/coniferous forest in Northwest Georgia (Gordon County), US.

Highly branched, "wiry" plants growing in large groups at the top of a ridge. They have sparse leaves that are very small and ovate to obovate and alternately arranged. Flowers are white, bell-shaped, and growing in a clusters. Vaccinium pallidum is a colonial plant that sprouts from a rhizome to form clones. Its fruits are a choice food source for birds, bears, and many other animals.