Buttonbush vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Mountain Huckleberry

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Vaccinium membranaceum

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Buttonbush
Mountain Huckleberry

Buttonbush is a moisture loving shrub that provides year round interest.

It has round, fragrant flowers resembling small buttons or pincushions. The flowers transform into small reddish-brown fruit that persists into winter while the leaves take on shades of red in fall.

Providing essential food to bees, butterflies, and other insects, this shrub is versatile. Try it in your next shrub border.

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.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Light: any
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Flowers: large, white, spherical
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: high




Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry