Germination and Growth of Sparkleberry Seedlings ( Vaccinium ArboreumMarsh)

Abstract

The sparkleberry, a small, ornamental native tree which reaches the height of 10 m in the forests of the southeastern United States, is of interest as a rootstock onto which highbush blueberry cultivars could be grafted, as an ornamental landscaping plant, and as a source of upland-soil adaptation and drought tolerance in breeding cultivated highbush blueberries. The sparkleberry has proved difficult to propagate either by seeds or by cuttings. Experiments were conducted to find better methods of growing sparkleberry plants from seed. Cold stratification for 2 to 6 weeks in moist sand at 5-7 °C increased seed germination markedly in some experiments. A high percentage of the sparkleberry seeds that were stratified in the dark in moist sand at 7 °C for 156 days germinated during stratification and produced etiolated seedlings, most of which died after transplantation. Stratified sparkleberry seeds germinated better if planted in summer than if planted in winter in north Florida. Seeds not kept continuously moist during germination germinated poorly. However, after germination, excessive moisture resulted in high seedling mortality. Seedlings that were transplanted soon after germination to a freshly prepared peatperlite mix and moved to a warm environment (daily maximums 28 °C; daily minimums 13 °C) survived well and grew rapidly if not overwatered. Sparkleberry seedlings can be grown in quantities sufficient for commercial utilization if large numbers of seeds are planted and if germination and early growth conditions are carefully managed. However, consistent, high percentage (above 50%) germination of sparkleberry seeds remains an elusive goal.