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Vaccinium membranaceum Dougl. ex Torr.

Mountain huckleberry, Square-twig blueberry, Thinleaf huckleberry

Ericaceae (Heath Family)

USDA Symbol: VAME

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A spreading shrub, 1 1/2-6 ft. tall, with small oval leaves and single, pale yellowish-pink flowers hanging on short pedicels from leaf axils. The tubular flowers are followed by edible, purple or purplish-red berries.

This is an important and nutritious food source for Black and Grizzly Bears, which consume not only the berries but also other plant parts, as well as deer, Elk, Moose, and Ruffed Grouse.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit: Purple, Red
Size Class: 3-6 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , ID , MI , MN , MT , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: B.C. to n. CA, e. to MT & ID; also two occurences in the Black Hills
Native Habitat: Conifer woods on mt. slopes
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Soil Description: Moist to mesic, acid soil.
Conditions Comments: Not Available

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Vaccinium species are propagated by seeds, cuttings and rooted suckers of offshoots.
Seed Treatment: Dormancy varies. A 3 month cold-moist stratification may be necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1993 VOL. 10, NO.2 - Berry Browsing in the Backyard, Director\'s Report, Essays on Trillium\'s, Natio...

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Vaccinium membranaceum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Vaccinium membranaceum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Vaccinium membranaceum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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