Huckleberry Bush/Tree!!!

[baymule]

When I was a kid, my grandmother made huckleberry jam. They had 40 acres surrounded by paper company lands. I loved going there and have many memories of going to their farm. One of those memories is cold mornings, the propane heater warming the house, and breakfast! Grandmother cooked bacon, eggs and biscuits. For those biscuits was huckleberry jam, the best jam ever!

I have looked over the years for huckleberry bushes, but to no avail. The tiny, seedy berries remained elusive to me.

Now it is many years later, my grandparents long gone and huckleberries are a warm memory of the past.

I went walking in our woods last week, just enjoying the beauty crafted by the hand of God. I'd walk a bit, then stop to take it all in. On one of my stops, by the gully at the property line, was some small round berries hanging over my head. Green briar vines crawled all over the trees and bushes, choking them. Green briars have small dark berries this time of year, so I inspected them closer. Sure enough there were green briar berries, but there was something more. Small dark berries hung from a filagree of slender stems. I ran down the list of what they might be and drew the conclusion, could it be??? Huckleberries?? I picked one and rolled it over my tongue. A broad smile spread over my face as I realized my life long quest was over. Growing right here on our own property was what I remembered from time gone past.

I went to the house all excited, telling my husband about the huckleberry bush( or small tree) and what it meant to me. He got as excited as I was. I picked a little over a cup full and have them in the refrigerator. I'm waiting on more to ripen, there isn't many of them, but if I can get enough for even one small jar of huckleberry jam, I'll be thrilled.

And the best part? There are three huckleberry bushes big enough to bear fruit plus small plants less than two feet tall. I tagged eleven huckleberry bushes, total. We are going to transplant the smallest ones to the garden.

 

[seedcorn]

Extremely happy for you.

There has to be different berries with that name. As a kid, we grew a very tall plant called Huckleberry. They were vile. Tried when they first went purple-yuck. Then before frost-still yuck. Then after frost-still yuck. Glad you have the good ones. Are they perennials?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Agree, happy for you. When we took a vacation in Montana/Wyoming we hit huckleberry season. Huckleberry signs everywhere. I did a quick check, no they won't grow in my climate. So I checked, can I get some berries shipped to Arkansas to make some jelly or jam for Christmas gifts. When I saw what it would cost, not no how, not no way. They are awfully proud of those berries.

So yes, extremely happy for you. The price is right.

 

[baymule]

@seedcorn they make a small understory tree and bear every fall. We have an oak tree that overhangs the garden and we are going to transplant some of the small ones there so they will get partial shade.

@Ridgerunner huckleberries should grow for you. They are a small tree or bush native to east Texas. They probably grow in your area too. Finding them is the problem.

Look at the first picture, I tied pink surveyor tape on the tree I picked berries from. They never get very big.

 

[digitS']

Good for you, @baymule ! And, what a well-written description of your outing and find .

They are awfully proud of those berries.

Well, you are right! They aren't the same as what Bay' has on her property but here's what Wikipedia has to say about Vaccinium membranaceum:

Both humans and wildlife enjoy feasting on this fruit in the late summer and early fall. People have been eating the fruit of this species for thousands of years. It was and continues to be widely used for food by Native Americans.[1] The Kutenai called the black huckleberry shawíash (Ktunaxa: ǂawiyaǂ).[9] Alaska Natives consumed it in bread and pies as a source of vitamin C, the Coeur d'Alene people ate the fruit fresh, dried, mashed, cooked, and added it to soup or froze it for later use, and many other groups relished it and stored it frozen, dried, pressed into cakes, or canned for winter use.[10]
Wildlife
The plant also provides a key food source for black and grizzly bears, which eat the leaves, stems, roots, and fruit.[5] Elk, moose, and white-tailed deer also browse the plant.[5] The thickets provide cover for many species of small animals.[5]
Symbol
The huckleberry is the official state fruit of Idaho, with this particular species assumed to be the huckleberry in question.

Let it be known that the city of Coeur d'Alene is in Kootenai County, Idaho. The residents can be justly proud of all relationships with Native Americans and the huckleberry.

Now, here is my experience on one outing: After a drive of about an hour over rutted unpaved roads at a steady and steep grade, I arrived where I could see some huckleberry bushes. The view was great, looking off the mountain but walking around almost had to be done on all 4's! After nearly toppling down the hillside on several occasions, I'd spent a good 2 hours and managed to pick enough to fill a shirt pocket.

Fortunately, I know some accomplished huckleberry pickers who also probably know better locations than I was able to scope out. They are generous people .

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Bay that is amazing. I believe God had that property planned for you all along.

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

Grandma smiling down on you

 

[Ridgerunner]

You're right Steve, my mind went blank. I forgot where Bay lived. I'd blame it on the meds but I'm not taking any that would do that.

We have common names for different plants. Bay's huckleberries are totally different than the ones I was thinking about. An excerpt form this site:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/huckleberries/huckleberry-plant-care.htm

Now that we know what they are, it might be prudent to inquire where huckleberries grow. There are four species of huckleberry in the genus Gaylussacia, which are native to the eastern and southeastern United States, but these are not the berries to which we are referring. Western huckleberries belong to the genus Vaccinium and found among the coniferous forests of the West Coast of the United States.

The flowers and fruit of western huckleberries appear akin to those of high bush and low bush blueberries and are, indeed, Vaccinium species as well. Western huckleberries are found in a different taxonomic section (myrtillus) than those blueberries, however, as they produce single berries in the axils of leaves on new shoots. High and low bush blueberries produce berries on year old wood with a much greater yield.

 

[digitS']

Continuing PNW high altitude hijacking?

It seems like forever that i have been reading about bringing these Vaccinium huckleberries to lower elevations and developing cultivars suitable for commercial production.

Most recently, there was a university effort in Montana about 15 years ago. U of Idaho researchers gave up in Sandpoint. Now, it's WSU's turn and they are trying it ... in a greenhouse ..?

What the problem is, I don't know but it doesn't seem that the PhDs in horticulture do, either. My experience pickin' was over 20 years ago and when there was few opportunities to buy huckleberries. Now, there is serious conflict over commercial harvesting. I'm amazed that there is any real success with the enterprise and think the price reflects the difficulties.

Steve, “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.” ~ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

[LocoYokel]

What a wonderful find!! I had no idea huckleberries had different growth habits, or that they even grew in places other than the PNW.

Now, here is my experience on one outing: After a drive of about an hour over rutted unpaved roads at a steady and steep grade, I arrived where I could see some huckleberry bushes. The view was great, looking off the mountain but walking around almost had to be done on all 4's! After nearly toppling down the hillside on several occasions, I'd spent a good 2 hours and managed to pick enough to fill a shirt pocket.

Yep, that's how ya find 'em and hope to pick 'em before ya fall off the mountain or get chased outta the patch by a bear!