Lowbush Cranberry vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Lowbush Cranberry vs Mountain Huckleberry

Viburnum edule

Vaccinium membranaceum

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Lowbush Cranberry
Mountain Huckleberry

Lowbush Cranberry is a short, deciduous shrub native to North America. Its white flowers bear sour but edible fruit that ripens to a brilliant red in fall. Lowbush Cranberry's small size makes it suitable for urban use; buyers will also find it useful if trying to reclaim land back to its original species or when landscaping with native species in damp conditions.

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.

Lowbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: red, edible
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Flowers: white
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high




Other Names: high bush cranberry, highbush cranberry, mooseberry, moosomin, pembina, pimbina, squashberry
Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry