Wild Red Raspberry vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Wild Red Raspberry vs Mountain Huckleberry

Rubus idaeus

Vaccinium membranaceum

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Wild Red Raspberry
Mountain Huckleberry

The Wild Red Raspberry produces small, tart, red berries. They are delicious when eaten fresh, but also add flavor to preserves or desserts. They are highly suckering and can be high yielding.

The Wild Red Raspberry is also otherwise known as the American Red Raspberry, European Red Raspberry, Grayleaf Raspberry, or the Common Red Raspberry.

The Wild Red Raspberry are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

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.

Wild Red Raspberry Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: white
Fruit: small, tart
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, ON, YT, NT
Other Names: american red raspberry, common red raspberry, european red raspberry, grayleaf red raspberry, red raspberry
Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry