Evergreen Huckleberry - anybody has experience growing?

I am looking at Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry) shrub to plant in sun. Does somebody knows if it's draughttolerent or not?

My experience is that evergreen huckleberry would like some afternoon shade. Seems to be fairly drought tolerant, mine get no summer water, probably would like some, but will survive nicely without it. In full sun with little water, don't expect a good berry crop, if you are going full sun, then you need to water. But I do not think they will die with a drought. I do have some in pots in full sun and they dry out pretty badly, the leaves get browned, but they survive.
Rebecca

I've always found them to grow their best in the decayed trunk of a felled cedar tree. I tried potting one up with bits of trunk and it did much better than the ones I had in regular soil. As rebeccanne said, they like a bit of mid-day shade.

What variaty of this bush you are growing? I heard that some require moist soil, some not, some have blue berries, some black, but in nursery i see just "Evergreen huckleberry".

In my book, "Plants of Coastal British Columbia..inc. WA, OR & Alaska" it mentions growing in the beach fringes, at the edges and openings of coniferous forests which is what I remember. The fruit is described as deep purplish-black, sorta like Salal from my memory. I also recall the plants in the open looked a bit yellow by the end of summer so the partial shade kept them looking good.

I do not know the variety I am growing, its native to this area. I do know there are some patches that have bigger berries than others, so must be something differant going on. All the ones I know of like conditions like a blueberry, which is a cousin, and would like some afternoon shade. They grow in many conditions here, including in dry sand, they must drink up during our wet winters. All the berries I have seen on the native are almost black. There is a red huckleberry, the fruit is actually red, but have not eaten or grown that one. The decideous huckleberry is quite beautiful, nice fall foliage, again, I have not grown or eaten that one. But love the native ones for flavor, awesome.
Rebecca

brierGardener, I have both deciduous and evergreen on my property, some on the edge of my property get full sun, the rest get light shade to shade. they were here when I move in in 1980 so they are good size. I tried to move some and they all died. so I'm leaving them alone. and I work around them. Jim

There is a nursery down near Eatonville I can't remember the name but they have every huckelberry that survives here. I remember its called Raintree. Look them up for plants. Steve.

I did order some plants from Raintree, very nice people and got some really nice plants. They do have a calalog they will send if you request.

I have dug huckleberry and it lived. But I did it when the ground was saturated and in a sandy spot and they were small. I think they are normally difficult to dig in the wild. This year was a bad one for huckleberry, just too dry I think to put on good fruit. But I do have a bunch in the freezer, I am never without. If I get unexpected company and need a desert, I get a really good vanilla ice cream, then I boil some huckleberry with a bit of water and sugar, I add a little cornstarch to thicken it a bit and leave it at room temperature. People who have never eaten huckleberry just rave about it. And I act like I worked hard at it.....lol.
Rebecca
My last name is Gardner, I thought Hostajim was making a remark about my garden...but he was talking to BriarGardener..lol.

I have heard that huckelberry needs a certain"culture" of plants to surround and support it. IE ethelene gas producing, acidic soil ph5.3, and other supportive neighboring plants to make it survive. I know of many attempst to bring the lovely plant down off the mountains here and none with success. That is why I was waiting for Raintree to get a successful cultivar. Anybody getting fruit? I hope so. The Indian Paintbrush is another micro environs of groups of plants to make it survive. I have never seen the true native for sale, only some copycats.

I've never seen blue / black huckleberries around here, so we content ourselves with the red huckleberries which grow profusely. If I could beat the animals to the berries I might even make jelly -- alas, they are much faster than I. :-)

I guess I've never seen a huckleberry. I thought they only grew back east. I'll check the plant files and see if I have any growing around here.

KatyMac--

I generally find them growing on old stumps.

Huckleberries, Vaccinium ovatum, are part of the native douglass fir ecosystem. The deciduous red huckleberries are the ones you find growing on old cedar stumps. They have a very lacy and delicate look to them, where the evergreen huckleberry we have is shrubby and dense. They grow best in well drained soil that is slightly acid and has plenty of compost and can take either full sun or partial shade. It's really hard to move mature shrubs, though. I tried to bring one to my property from my sisters but it didn't make it. I just leave them where they are.

I DONT CARE WHERE THEY GROW JUST GIVE ME SOME!!!

I just got the new Raintree catalog and they have a bunch listed. And they do say the evergreen huckleberry grows in shade. If you request a catalog you will probably find lots more things you NEED in there.
Rebecca

We have these evergreen huckleberry all over the yard. They grow in all conditions probably because I didn't plant them! I wanted to let anyone know who might be interested in buying these and other native trees/shrubs that the Thurston Conservation District has an annual plant sale in February. Pre-orders can be done in advance and submitted with all plants picked up in February at their office near the Thurston County Courthouse. The website is: www.thurstoncd.com.

I order several trees and shrubs from them each year. I've had particular success with the noble fir, white oak and red osier dogwood. I think the oak is no longer available, unfortunately. The bitter cherry and serviceberry have also done well. If anyone would like to order but can't pick up their plants on the pick up date, I'd be happy to pick up for you and hold until you can get them. Just let me know!

Here's one growing in an old stump. Those red deciduous huckleberries grow all over the yard as well, also out of stumps and fallen logs. Once, I mistakenly pulled a bunch of them when we moved in since they resemble scotch broom once they've lost their leaves - Whoops!

Excellent! Thank you for the information, and posting the thread - I would like huckleberries to grow in my yard! I'd like to use them as foundation plants for the north side of my house that gets short morning sun and rest of the day shade. At least, I think I'd like them, with a couple of Lingonberries.

Here's my two cent offering of information:
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/683.htm
There is more information on the Doug fir community Pixy mentioned.

So does anyone want to send along for trade or postage some of those volunteer seedlings all over their yards? :-)

This message was edited Oct 29, 2006 1:40 PM

That's an interesting website. I would gladly send Huckleberry starts, but I've never seen any. We have mature 2-4 ft. high shrubs around the yard that were here when we moved in 4 years ago. Interestingly, we don't have many Douglas fir on the property. Mostly pacific silver fir, grand fir, balsam fir, western red cedar, western and mountain hemlock, pacific yew, big leaf maple, madrone and a sea of red alder. The things I have to pull like weeds are the alder, maple and madrone, which come up everywhere. If anyone wants these, I'd be too happy to send them packing, though I think the madrone doesn't like being disturbed.