Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Vaccinium parvifolium

Red Huckleberry

At a Glance: Delicately branched shrub with small red huckleberries, suitable for shady areas on decaying wood.

Height: 4-10 feet (1.5-3 meters).
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Young twigs are green and strongly angled, older stems are light brown with thin bark; much-branched.
Leaves: Small, oval-shaped with smooth margins, 1-2.5 cm long.
Flowers: Small bell-shaped greenish-pink flowers about 4 mm long hanging individually along lower sides of stems; length:
Flowering Period: March, April, May.
Fruits: Bright red smooth round huckleberries 6-9 mm in diameter. The berries are edible.


Photo © Ben Legler

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Needs well decayed wood or bark; usually grows on old stumps and logs.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Birds eat the berries. Insects: Butterflies use the flowers for nectar. Mammals: Mammals use the berries for food.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Food Uses: The red berries are edible and slightly tart.
Landscape Uses: Leaves can have good fall color if grown in sunnier areas.

Suggested References

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.