Bear Huckleberry
Gaylussacia ursina

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

Gaylussacia ursina is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.8

Where it is found

Wooded slopes and summits, often in acid humus.

South-eastern N. America.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw or cooked. Insipid.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a lime-free moist peaty soil, thriving in sun or part shade.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 1 month warm stratification followed by 2 months cold. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots of lime-free compost and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer when they are at least 15cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Layering. Division in spring.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 5-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Decachaena ursina. (M.A.Curtis.)Small. Vaccinium ursinum.