Velvet-leaf Blueberry

Velvet-leaf Blueberry is a low-growing native shrub of northern forests and bogs, distinguished by its velvety, hairy leaves — unusual among blueberries. It produces small, pale blue to dusky berries that are edible and were an important food for Indigenous peoples of Canada and the northern United States. It thrives in poor, acidic soils and is often found growing alongside black spruce and tamarack in boreal habitats. Bears, birds, and small mammals all rely heavily on blueberry crops during late summer.