Common Blueberry vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Blueberry vs Mountain Huckleberry

Vaccinium membranaceum

Vaccinium myrtilloides

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Mountain Huckleberry
Common Blueberry

Mountain Huckleberry is a small shrub known for its tart to sweet berries. The berries range from purple-black to red-black, and can be eaten fresh or used in jams and syrups. It is a plant native to Alberta and the berries are frequently enjoyed by both people and wildlife.

In traditional Indigenous fire management practices, berry patches were burned after harvest. This would reduce the invasion of other plants allowing the Mountain Huckleberry to thrive. Its foliage has low flammability and can survive low severity fires, and even if destroyed they regrow from the roots.

Note: Mountain Huckleberry requires specific soil conditions. They need moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH around 5.5.

Common Blueberry is an August maturing berry that is wonderfully flavorful and contain more antioxidants by volume than the highbush varieties.
They'll give your baked goods a wonderful pop of flavor.

It isn't as large, pretty, or high yielding as the other varieties we carry. But Common Blueberry is one of the only blueberries that will survive in plant hardiness zones 1A to 2B.

Note: Blueberries require very specific soil conditions. They need well-drained soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.0.

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Common Blueberry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: none


Fall colour: yellow, orange, and red
Flowers: white
Berries: dark purple
Berries: blue
Firmness: medium
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Flavor: tart
Harvest: mid to late summer
Harvest: late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry
Other Names: canadian blueberry, sourtop blueberry, velvetleaf blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry