Dwarf Huckleberry
Gaylussacia dumosa
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
Gaylussacia dumosa is a deciduous Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower in June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) 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): 0.3
Where it is found
Dry barrens and pinelands near the coast.
Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Florida and Louisiana.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
North America*, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or cooked and used as a pie filling etc. Juicy and deliciously spicy. Watery and insipid, though commonly eaten according to another report. Not much valued. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Requires a lime-free moist peaty soil, thriving in sun or part shade. Prefers a sandy soil. Succeeds in wetter soils than other members of this genus. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. A very ornamental and freely suckering shrub.
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
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Lasiococcus dumosus. Vaccinium dumosum. V. hirtellum.