The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Vaccinium membranaceum (Mountain Huckleberry) Kingdom Plantae – Plants Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass Dilleniidae Order Ericales Family Ericaceae – Heath family Genus Vaccinium L. – blueberry Species Vaccinium membranaceum Douglas ex Torr. – thinleaf huckleberry
A tall, deciduous shrub, Mountain Huckleberry is common at mid- to high elevations in open areas, especially after a forest fire. Found from Alaska to California and east to the Great Lakes (USDA 3-10), it is versatile and does fine at lower elevations. While it prefers moist sites, it can survive seasonal drought. This huckleberry has fine, oval leaves that turn vibrant shades of fire red or maroon in the fall. The flowers are yellow-pink and small, while the purple to black, shiny fruit are delicious for pies and jam (that is if you manage to not eat them all when picking them – a definite challenge!).

For a short comparison of northwest native huckleberry family plants, click here.
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