Photo: Steven G. Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Black Huckleberry
Gaylussacia baccata
Also called huckleberry.
A low, colony-forming shrub of dry acid woods with sweet, seedy black berries and crimson fall leaves.
EdibleWildlife valueFall colorDrought tolerant
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature height
- 1–3 ft
- USDA zones
- 3–7
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Sun
- Full · Part
- Soil moisture
- Dry · Average
210
Huckleberry is what grows under the pines and oaks on the poorest, driest acid soil, and it fruits there reliably every July. The berries are richer than blueberries. It spreads by rhizomes into a low groundcover that flames red in October. Needs acid soil; will not tolerate lime or wet feet.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
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