Shrub · Ericaceae

Deerberry

Vaccinium stamineum

Deerberry is recorded as native to 27 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 915 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Deerberry at a glance

Native in: 915 counties, across 27 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5a PLANTS minimum temperature −23°F
Mature height: 16 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Tolerates shade Low water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 5a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −23°F; zone 5a winters bottom out at −20°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 915 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alabama 58 counties
Arkansas 49 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Delaware 3 counties
District of Columbia 1 county
Florida 54 counties
Georgia 71 counties
Illinois 1 county
Indiana 18 counties
Kentucky 68 counties
Louisiana 37 counties
Maryland 1 county
Massachusetts 6 counties
Mississippi 45 counties
Missouri 36 counties
New Jersey 18 counties
New York 35 counties
North Carolina 85 counties
Ohio 38 counties
Oklahoma 2 counties
Pennsylvania 64 counties
Rhode Island 1 county
South Carolina 39 counties
Tennessee 69 counties
Texas 15 counties
Virginia 100 counties
West Virginia 1 county

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 16 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Multiple Stem
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Tolerant (tolerates shade)
Moisture use: Low water use
Drought tolerance: High
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: 30 to 65 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 4 to 7
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 12 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −23°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 5a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 140
Fire tolerance: Medium

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: White
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Late Summer
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Purple

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: No Known Source
Family: Ericaceae
PLANTS symbol: VAST

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Vaccinium stamineum (PLANTS symbol VAST).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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