Confused about what a huckleberry or
bilberry is? Don't feel alone. These common names are
applied to many different plants growing around the
world.
Eastern Huckleberries
Two species commonly
called huckleberries are found in eastern North America.
Black huckleberry (Gaylusaccia baccata) is
widespread from the southern United States into Canada.
Box huckleberry (G. brachycera) is found in the
central Appalachians. The fruits resemble
blueberries and western huckleberries, but the flavor is
typically poor to fair and the fruits contain ten large,
hard seeds. Although widespread in eastern North America,
the fruits have not proven commercially important. When it
came time to domesticate blue fruits for eastern North
America, breeders chose highbush, rabbiteye, and
lowbush blueberries.
Like western huckleberries and domestic blueberries and
cranberries, Gaylussacia huckleberries are
acid-loving plants found in the heath family (Ericaceae).
The University of
Idaho is not conducting research on eastern
huckleberries.
Garden Huckleberries
"Garden huckleberries"
are closely related to tomatoes and nightshade, and are
commonly available from garden seed suppliers. Whether they
are "true huckleberries" or not depends on who you talk
to. Suffice it to say, they do not resemble and are not
related to eastern or western huckleberries. Solanum
melanocerasum is most commonly called garden
huckleberry, but other Solanum species are, as well. These annuals
or short-lived perennials grow quickly from seed, producing
abundant crops of blue berries in a few months. The flavor
is often described as less than palatable and the berries
can be toxic if not fully ripe and prepared properly. Commercial
prospects are poor. For more information on garden
huckleberries,
click here.
Western Huckleberries and Bilberries
In western North America, the common
names huckleberry, bilberry, whortleberry, and blueberry
are largely interchangeable. It is not unusual for a
single plant to be called by two or more of these names.
It is also not unusual for a single plant to have many
different common names. And contrary to some, these plants rate as true
huckleberries.
Like their
cousins in eastern North America, western
huckleberries and bilberries are woody, perennial shrubs in
the heath family. Also like their eastern cousins,
western huckleberries and bilberries require acidic
soils.
Unlike their
eastern cousins, western huckleberries and bilberries
are found in genus Vaccinium, as are domestic
highbush and lowbush blueberries, as well as cranberries.
Worldwide, there are approximately 400 species of
Vaccinium, about 26 of them being native to North
America. The 26 North American species are further
divided into taxonomic sections. If you are interested
in botany and taxonomy, read The Genus Vaccinium
in North America by Dr. S.P. Vander Kloet (Publication
1828, Canadian Government Publishing Centre).
Western
huckleberries are in different taxonomic sections (Myrtillus,
Vaccinium, and Pyxothamnus))
than highbush and lowbush blueberries (Cyanococcus).
Section Myrtillus species produce
single berries in the axils of leaves on new shoots,
while section Vaccinium and Pyxothamnus
species produce small clusters of fruits.
Highbush and lowbush blueberries develop relatively
large clusters of
berries on one-year-old wood, producing greater yields
than do huckleberries. The
section Myrtillus contains eight species.
Sections Vaccinium and Pyxothamnus each
contain one species. Some
species are found not only in North America, but also in
Europe, Asia, and
Greenland.
While
western huckleberry and bilberry species are not
threatened with extinction, they do represent a
dwindling resource.
These crops
were historically and remain today very important to
some Native Peoples in western North America. They have
been harvested commercially from the wild in the
northwestern United States for more than a century for
culinary products.
Today, market
demand is increasing sharply, nationally and
internationally, for both culinary and nutritional uses.
At the same time, harvests from wild stands have
declined due to protection of endangered species, such
as caribou and grizzly bear; forest management
practices; and residential and commercial development.
Increasing demands and declining wild harvests have lead
to overharvesting in some areas. This demand, however,
also creates opportunities for commercial production on
managed forest stands and in field cultivation. Both
production systems can provide economic benefits to
rural areas hurt by declining logging, mining, and other
natural resource industries. Producing fruits from
managed stands and field cultivation can also help
protect sensitive environmental resources now being
threatened by overharvesting.
Beginning in 1994, the University of
Idaho began a program to better manage wild stands of
huckleberries and to develop improved varieties and
cultural practices that enable people to grow these
crops as we do blueberries. Our research has two basic
goals:
-
Protect wild stands from
overharvesting and preserve the berries for
recreational pickers, tribal uses, and small-scale
processors.
-
Produce fruit commercially from
managed forest stands and in field cultivation for
processors and export.
For more information on our huckleberry
research, click here.
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Evergreen, shot, or blackwinter
huckleberry
(Vaccinium ovatum) is native along the
Pacific coast from southern California to Central British
Columbia and belongs to Vaccinium section
Pyxothamnus. This species is found in coniferous forests along
roadsides and the edges of clearings. The bushes grow one to twelve feet tall and form dense stands. The stiff,
serrated leaves make the plant commercially valuable for
floral arrangements and foliage is harvested from wild
stands. Evergreen huckleberry is occasionally grown on small
farms along the Pacific coast. The black berries ripen late
in the fall and contain very high concentrations of
anthocyanins and antioxidants. Fruit yields are low.
Adaptation to areas away
from the coast remains to be determined.
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Red
huckleberry or red bilberry (V. parvifolium) is native
to western Oregon, Washington, California, and British
Columbia. Scattered populations have also been
reported in interior and eastern British Columbia.
This section Myrtillus species grows from sea level to 3,500 feet
elevation in and around clearings. The bushes grow
from three to more than twenty feet tall. The red,
waxy fruits were popular in jams and preserves with
all coastal Indian tribes, although the flavor tends
to be sour. Berries can hang on the branches until
early winter. The fruit contains low concentrations of
anthocyanins and low antioxidant capacity, although it
is rich in p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Red huckleberries
would probably be among the easiest of the western
species to cultivate and there is some commercial demand
for the fruits.
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Grouse whortleberry,
small-leaved huckleberry, dwarf red whortleberry, or red
alpine blueberry (V. scoparium) is native throughout western North
America in alpine and subalpine meadows and at edges of
coniferous woods from 3,000 to 11,000 feet elevation. It
belongs to section Myrtillus. The
rhizomatous plants grow three to eighteen inches tall,
forming dense, extensive colonies. The berries are tiny with
fair to good flavor. They are not harvested commercially due to small
fruit size and soft berries.
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Dwarf huckleberry, dwarf
blueberry, dwarf bilberry, or dwarf whortleberry
(V. caespitosum) is native throughout North America
and belongs to section Myrtillus.
The plants grow three to twenty-four inches tall and bear
bright blue berries with excellent flavor. This species is
adaptable and is found on dry or wet acidic sites from sea
level to 10,000 feet. It can form extensive colonies.
Although used for food and trade by Native Americans,
commercial pickers do not presently target it due to small
berry size.
The University of Idaho is presently conducting research
on this species and developing cultivated varieties. The
most likely immediate application will probably be for
edible landscaping, rather than commercial fruit
production.
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Bilberry, dwarf bilberry,
dwarf huckleberry, or whortleberry
(V. myrtillus) is native to North America, Europe,
and Asia. It is found in open, moist woods,
usually above 2,000 feet elevation in North America. In
Europe, this species grows to near sea level and often forms
large, dominant colonies. Plants grow six to twenty-four
inches tall. The berries contain antioxidants and compounds
beneficial to human health and are popular in Europe for
culinary and medicinal use.
This is the type species for Vaccinium section
Myrtillus.
Although bilberry is not presently harvested
commercially in North America, it is harvested
commercially from the wild in Finland and other European
countries. Limited attempts have been made to grow the crop
in cultivation. Commercial prospects for medicinal and
nutritional supplement products are promising.
The University of Idaho is working to develop cultivated
varieties of this crop and we presently have 28 early or
advanced selections in our cultivar development program.
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Alpine bilberry, bilberry,
bog bilberry or tundra bilberry (V. uliginosum)
is native to North America, Europe, and Asia from 38o to 78o
north latitudes and from sea level to 9,000 + feet
elevation. It belongs to genus Vaccinium section
Vaccinium. This species grows on wet or dry, acidic, organic
or mineral soils and is often found at the edges of lakes
and streams. The plants grow from several inches to about 36
inches tall, bearing single berries or clusters of two or
three glaucous, blue berries one-fourth inch in diameter.
The flavor is good, but yields are often low. Alpine bilberry is
harvested from the wild for domestic and commercial use in
Asia and northern Europe. Some attempts have been made in
Europe to cultivate the crop. Alpine bilberry is not presently a commercially
important crop in North America.
The University of Idaho is conducting research on this
crop and we presently have one early selection in our
cultivar development program.
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Cascade huckleberry,
Cascade bilberry, or blue huckleberry
(V. deliciosum) is native to California, Oregon,
Washington, and British Columbia in alpine meadows and
subalpine coniferous woods at elevations from 2,000 to 6,000
feet. It belongs to section Myrtillus. The plants grow six to thirty-six inches tall,
although the procumbent canes can be six feet long or
longer). The large, bright blue, glaucous berries have
outstanding flavor and aroma due to high concentrations of
esters and ketones.
Yield potential may be low
due to the fruit being borne only at the ends of the canes,
although this problem should be manageable through
occasional pruning.
Adapted to wet soils and
often found at edges of ponds, Cascade huckleberry also
grows on drier upland soils and can form dense heaths
covering hundreds to thousands of square feet. The berries
are very popular for commercial use, but the small,
scattered populations limit available volumes.
The
University of Idaho is conducting research on this crop
and we have three advanced selections in our cultivar
development program.
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Oval-leaved bilberry,
oval-leaved blueberry, Alaska blueberry, or highbush
blueberry (V. ovalifolium) is native across the northern United
States, southern Canada, and parts of Asia and Europe from
sea level to 6,500 feet elevation at the edges of forest
clearings and under light to moderate canopies. This species
belongs to section Myrtillus. The plants
grow 1.5 to 12 feet tall. The berries are glaucous blue and
rich in anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity. The flavor is
mild to sour due to low esters and ketones, but the crop has commercial
applications for botanical extracts and
nutritional supplements.
The University of Idaho is conducting research on
this crop. We presently have 20 advanced selections
of oval-leaved bilberry in our cultivar development
program.
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Mountain huckleberry,
mountain bilberry, black huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big
huckleberry, thin-leaved huckleberry, globe huckleberry, or
Montana huckleberry (V. membranaceum) is native to the northwestern U.S. and
western Canada, with outcroppings in Arizona and Minnesota.
It belongs in section Myrtillus. The plants are usually found in coniferous woods from
2,000 to 11,000 feet elevation, primarily in or around
clearings. Canes grow one to nine feet tall. The bushes are
rhizomatous (grow from underground stems) and transplant poorly from the wild.
The berries
are red, blue, purple, black, or rarely yellow to white and have good
to excellent flavor and aroma. Named Idaho’s state fruit
in 2000. The berries are harvested from the wild for
commercial processors and represent the most widely
harvested western huckleberry.
The University of Idaho is conducting research on
this crop. We presently have 26 early or advanced
selections in our cultivar development program.
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