Jewel Raspberry vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Jewel Raspberry vs Mountain Huckleberry

Rubus x Jewel

Vaccinium membranaceum

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Jewel Raspberry
Mountain Huckleberry

The Jewel Raspberry is one of the most popular black raspberry varieties, as it is consistently high-yielding and produces large, firm, and sweet berries. This cultivar is among one of the first raspberries to ripen each year, with berries ready for harvest in early to mid summer and is a vigorous grower.

The Jewel Raspberry is self-pollinating, and is a primocane variety meaning that it produces fruit on first years' growth. Prune stalks down each winter or early spring to get higher fruit yields and easier harvesting.

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.

Jewel Raspberry Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4b
Zone: 5a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: black, large
Berries: dark purple
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: August
Harvest: mid to late summer
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: high




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