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[Lon Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

In one of the older POMONAs there is an article from (name escapes me) who studied Vaccinium arboreum, so called "farkleberry" of the South.  It was sufficiently tolerant of alkaline soils that northern highbush blueberries could be grafted on  the species and they would survive and produce when they would die on their own roots.  One old timer apparently had a patch of such grafted berries that was 25 years old and in good production.  I have a piece of V. arboreum grafted on highbush blueberries, and it's quite interesting.  I had thought of crossing the two, but the V. arboreum doesn't bloom until the highbush types have ripe fruit.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Feb 13, 2005, at 2:33 PM, Louisa Rogoff Thompson wrote:

Jim,

I believe all blueberries require very acidic soil, but some of their close cousins, the huckleberries (Gaylussacia spp.) do not.  Around here, black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) grows along with blueberries in extremely acidic soil, but also grows in neutral soil if some other factor limits competition, and produces small but sweet berries.  This particular plant is a very low shrubby groundcover, about 6-12" tall and woody.  It's quite attractive, with silver-grey woody stems and exceptional fall foliage.   I believe it is found as far north as Newfoundland and Saskatchewan.  Also dangleberry, Gaylussacia frondosa, a much taller shrub (6-7'), has sweet, juicy fruit and grows as far north as southern New Hampshire.  I don't know if any true huckleberries (as opposed to Solanum spp.) are available from fruit nurseries.  If not, you could try native plant nurseries.

Louisa Thompson
Columbia, MD
Zone 7a