Huckleberry

Huckleberry - Vaccinium Caespitosum . The Huckleberry is often known in England as the whortleberry. This evergreen plant is a part of the Ericaceae family, but it can be a part of the Gaylussacia or Vaccinium genus. These bushes can grow as tall as 13 feet and be as big around as six feet. The huckleberry grows in U.S. zones seven through nine in mostly shade all the way to full sun. The bush or tree, as some call it, has white flowers when blooming. Small, round fruit will become red, blue, purple, or black when ripe in late summer. Deeply shaded plants may not produce. Huckleberry is often given too many different types of species of plants. Huckleberry plants small bare berries. There are plants in both the Gaylussacia and the Vaccinium species that are considered to be Huckleberry plants. Depending on what species of Huckleberry plant it depends on the color and the taste of the berries that it produces. The color of berries on Huckleberry plants can range from red to blue to a dark purple. Huckleberries are often confused with blueberries because of their color and sometimes taste. However, the majority of huckleberries do have a slightly different taste than the traditional blueberry.

Old fashioned huckleberries are a sweet treat for the whole family to enjoy. Berries contain a high sugar content perfect for snacking off the bush or home canning, and like most huckleberries, they are mostly pest resistant. Once established this hardy plant is quite prolific, making it a must-have for any orchard. Other than the slight difference in taste, huckleberries have larger seeds than the traditional blueberry, but that doesn't change how delicious they are. They are small to medium in size and very delicate and tasty when they are eaten. The color varies from a dark purple to a black, and they can grow up to an inch in diameter in the right given amount of sun, shade and soil types. The only downside to these berries is that birds and other small wildlife love these as much as humans do.