Black Huckleberry

Black Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) is an iconic Northwest berry shrub, prized for its intensely flavored, dark-purple fruit and its glowing fall foliage. In mountain meadows and forests across the West, mid- to late-summer ripening marks a season of abundance for people and wildlife alike [1][2][8].

Edible Uses

Among North America’s most celebrated wild fruits, Black Huckleberries are sweet-tart, aromatic, and deeply colored. Enjoy them fresh by the handful or preserved as exceptional jams, syrups, pies, cobblers, fruit leathers, and even country wines. The berries freeze well to extend the season. Beyond the deep, wild-berry flavor, they pack serious nutrition—concentrated anthocyanins and polyphenols plus a suite of vitamins—with research highlighting notable antioxidant activity [5][9][10].

Ornamental Qualities

Glossy foliage, bell-shaped spring blossoms, and brilliant red-purple fall color make this a handsome understory shrub for woodland gardens and edible landscapes [4].

For a multi-season native berry patch, pair Black Huckleberry with Serviceberry (early summer), Red Huckleberry and Salal (mid-summer), and Evergreen Huckleberry and Lingonberry (late summer–fall).

Environment and Culture

Native to higher-elevation forests and clearings throughout the Cascades, Rockies, and northern Sierra Nevada; thrives in acidic soils and snowpack-fed meadows [1][2][3][8]. Bears, birds, and many other animals rely on its fruit, and it plays a keystone role in mountain ecosystems [6][8] - patches can be hundreds of years old!

Celebrated as a sacred First Food of the Northwest, black huckleberry embodies a living relationship of nourishment, ceremony, and care between Indigenous peoples and the land. Seasonal berry camps, fire-tending, pruning, and selective harvest are living practices that maintain productivity and honor relationship with place [5][9]. (Learn more & how to help on our Charitable Giving page.)  

Harvest, Care, and Preparation

Grow in acidic, well-drained soil with partial sun to light shade. Choose cooler or higher elevation sites if possible and mulch with organic matter. Provide consistent moisture during dry spells. Harvest when fully colored and flavorful — often later than blueberries [4][7].

Note: As wild natives, huckleberries fruit more modestly and variably than cultivated blueberries. Many gardeners plant 3–6+ shrubs to match the crop of one mature highbush blueberry, depending on species and site. Multiple plants also increase yield due to increased pollination. 

(See Planting Guide on the next tab for more information.)

Attributes

• Native Range: AK & BC south to northern CA; inland ID–MT–WY; east to ON/MI/MN/SD (high-elevation and northern forests) [1][2][3][8]
• USDA Zones: 4–8 (Zone 9 generally too warm except coolest coastal pockets) [1][4]
• Ease of Care: Difficult [4][7]
• Deer Resistance: Low [6]
• Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade; give afternoon shade in hot, low-elevation sites [3][4][7]
• Soil Type: Strongly acidic, well-drained, organic-rich (pH ~4.3–5.5 ideal) [3][4][7]
• Water Requirements: Moist to well-drained; moderate drought tolerance once established; best fruit with steady summer moisture [4][6][7]
• Pollination: Self-fertile; bee activity important; multiple plants improve set [6][7]
• Bearing Age: ~3–5 years (earlier from divisions; seed-grown can take longer) [4][7]
• Size at Maturity: 3–6 ft (upright, rhizomatous clumps) [1][4][6]
• Plant Spacing: 3–5 ft (closer for hedging; wider for airflow) [7]
• Bloom Time: May–July (later at higher elevations/snowpack) [2][3]
• Harvest Time: August–September (earlier at low elevations; later in high country) [5][9]
• Indigenous Names: sx̣ʷúʔp (Okanagan-Colville, Interior Salish — “s-khwoop”), sax̣sis (Nez Perce — “sah-kh-sis”), sha·wi·as (Ktunaxa/Kutenai — “SHAH-wee-ahs”), sél̓š (Séliš/Flathead — “SELL-sh”), wíwnu (Yakama, Sahaptin — “WEE-noo”) [5][9]

Pot Sizing Guide