Creeping Oregon Grape vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Creeping Oregon Grape vs Mountain Huckleberry

Mahonia repens

Vaccinium membranaceum

ONLY AVAILABLE BY CONTRACT GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Creeping Oregon Grape
Mountain Huckleberry

Creeping Oregon Grape is an excellent ground cover plant with attractive, dark green, holly-like leaves. It maintains its leaves throughout winter, which turn mauve, rose, and rust-colored. Clusters of bright, yellow flowers develop into dark, blue-purple edible berries ideal for juice or wine.

Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Creeping Oregon Grape seeds at SeedTime.ca.

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.

Creeping Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 5a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: purple and bronze
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Flowers: yellow
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high




Other Names: ash barberry, creeping barberry, creeping holly grape, creeping mahonia, creeping oregon-grape, creeping western barberry, holly grape, mountain holly, oregon barberry
Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry