| Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium
ovatum) Common
under-story evergreen shrub in forests, occasionally in impenetrable
mono-species thickets, and as few
individuals in prairies along edges.
Erect, bushy shrubs to 4 m tall.
Reddish green smooth bark. Evergreen
egg-shaped with point, sharp-toothed edge leathery leaves to 5 cm long
are dark shiny green on top and paler below. Three to ten pink,
bell-shaped 8 mm long flowers occur along branches.
Berries are sweet, somewhat musky tasting, 4-7 mm shiny, purplish
black spheres that ripen in fall but remain fresh on the plant until
December. Eaten fresh and
dried by indigenous peoples.
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Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium
parvifolium) Common as
individuals along forest-prairies edges.
Erect shrub to 4 m tall. Bright
green smooth bark. Mostly
deciduous (few persistent) oval, non-toothed edge leaves to 3 cm long
are similar bright green as bark. Single
greenish-yellow to pink, bell-shaped, ~5 mm long flowers occur along
branches. Edible, but tart, fruits are 5-10 mm bright red spherical
berries that form by mid-summer. Harvested
by indigenous peoples by shaking plant and letting berries fall in
baskets. Eaten fresh and
dried. |