Vaccinium membranaceum
Black huckleberry
ERICACEAE, The Heath family
Who said there was no good fall color out here? Oh yeah, I did, when I came here last year. There are a lot of broad-leaved evergreens, but my, when events conspire this land glows. And this year, drought stress, suddenly cool nights, and rain at just the right moment have brought out the riches in every plant. Up on the mountain, the Black huckleberry, a shrubby little blueberry relative shone lime and gold beneath the trees and scarlet along the road side where it got more light. The vine maples were vibrant too. Back in the city the sweet spire, fothergilla, burning bush and ‘Blue muffin’ viburnums, Indian currant coral bush, they are all wild with color.
The Black huckle berry is not to be confused with Vaccinium ovatum, the plant most often referred to when someone mentions ‘huckleberry’. That shrub is taller and evergreen. There are 10 main species of Vaccinium in the Northwest, which include blueberries, cranberries and huckleberries.
