Black huckleberry, Oval-leafed blueberry
Vaccinium ovalifolium

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

A clumpy shrub. It is fairly narrow and upright. It grows 1 m high. It can grow 3 m high. It loses its leaves. It can form suckers if the roots are damaged. The young stems are angular and have grooves. The leaves are oval and have smooth edges. The leaves are pale green and paler underneath. The leaves are 3-6 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. The flowers appear before the leaves and are 1 cm long by 5 mm wide. They can be green or pink. The fruit are blue, purple or black berries. They are 8 mm across and are edible. They have a gritty texture. It can form hybrids with Vaccinium deliciosum and Vaccinium membranaceum.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is cold hardy. It does well in moist conditions and suits bogs.

Countries/locations it is found in

Alaska, Canada, Japan, North America (country/location of origin), Russia, USA

How it is used for food

The very ripe berries are harvested then pressed into a cake and dried. Later they are stirred with water and eaten. They are also eaten raw and cooked.

They are eaten and also dried in large quantities.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Alaskan blueberry, Kuro-usugo, Spuuxaltswa, Tokabonoma

Synonyms

Vaccinium alaskaense Howell; Vaccinium chamissonis Bong.; and others