Vaccinium parvifolium
The red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) is a lovely BC native for shade with an open, ethereal form and bright red fruit.

The red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) is a lovely BC native shrub for shady spots with an open, ethereal character with wiry branches and small leaves that turn red in fall. The white to pink flowers are visited by a variety of pollinators and are followed by bright red pendulous fruits that seem magical when lit by a shaft of sunlight breaking through the forest canopy. The fruit are quite tart but edible and fun to eat fresh or used in jellies or desserts. They were an important food of First Nations peoples. They are also popular with birds and native mammals. In the wild red huckleberry is usually found growing on rotting stumps or logs. If you have such a feature in your garden this is the perfect place to plant it but make sure to water well for the first few summers as it becomes established. Otherwise grow in sandy or loamy soils with added bark mulch mixed in.
Common Name: Red Huckleberry
Family: Ericaceae (The Heath Family)
Zone Hardiness: 5-9
Light: Full Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Height: 4-6'
Width: 2-3'
Primary Bloom Colour: Pink
Secondary Bloom Colour: White/Cream
Foliage Colour: Green, Good Fall Colour
Class: Deciduous
Type: Shrub
Bloom Time:
Soil Moisture: Average, Moist
Stem Colour:
Fragrance: No
Berries: Red
Benefits: Bees Hummingbirds
Deer Resistant: Unknown
BC Native: Yes
Native Habitat: Moist, shaded forests often on decaying stumps or fallen logs from Alaska and BC south to central California.
Award:
Geographical Origin: