An evergreen or deciduous shrub which varies from mat-forming to erect, native to the New World; leaves small, oval; flowers urn- or bell-shaped; berries black, edible. In the UK, the name huckleberry is sometimes used for the bilberry. (Genus: Gaylussacia, 49 species. Family: Ericaceae.)
Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae: Gaylussacia and Vaccinium.
While some Vaccinium species, such as the Red Huckleberry, are always called huckleberries, other species may be called blueberries or huckleberries depending upon local custom. The 'garden huckleberry' (Solanum melanocerasum) is not considered to be a true huckleberry but a member of the nightshade family.
The fruit of the various species of plant called huckleberry are generally edible.
Environment
In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the huckleberry plant can be found in mid-alpine regions, often on the lower slopes of mountains. Under optimal conditions, huckleberries can be as much as 1.5-2 m high, and usually ripen in mid-to-late summer;
Trivia
The Huckleberry is the state fruit of Idaho.
Link
Box Huckleberry is one of the oldest organisms on the planet.
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