Etymology
Gaylussacia is Latin – the plant is named in honor of French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac; baccata is Latin, meaning bearing berries.
Native Habitat
Dry or moist open woods, thickets and clearings.
Garden Uses
Black huckleberry is useful in naturalized gardens as an understory or as a low growing hedge. It has multiple season interest. Provide morning sun for the best flower and fruit production.
Overview
A tall upright much-branched, stiff, colony-forming shrub, huckleberry closely resembles the native blueberry plants with which it grows. However, it can be readily identified by the numerous resin dots on the undersides of the leaves which glitter when held up to the light. This shrub often forms thickets. It prefers sandy or rocky soils in sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant once established. The shallow spreading root system helps prevent erosion on slopes and rocky hillsides.
Leaves and Stems
Young stems are yellowish green to reddish brown, may or may not be covered with hair, while older stems are light gray to nearly black. The wood of the stems is relatively brittle and weak. The bark of the adult plant is thin and smooth. The blades of the simple alternate leaves are 1" to 2¼" long and ½" to 1" across; they are oval and smooth along their margins. The upper surface of the blades is yellowish green and slightly shiny, while the lower surface is dull yellowish green and more or less covered with fine yellow resinous dots that are more visible with a 10x hand lens. Short fine hairs are often present on the lower blade surface and petioles. The leaves turn shades of orange and crimson in the fall before falling to the ground.
Flowers
The 1/3” long white, tubular flowers are borne in panicles and develop in the axils on the previous season's growth. They are in dangling groups of 3–7, orange or red and bell-shaped.
Fruit/Seed
Berries are up to 1/3" across. They start out green and become blue-black at maturity. The interior of each berry is fleshy and sweet and contains 10 seeds which are up to 1/8” long. Berries are sweet and tasty.
Animal Associates
The flowers of huckleberry are cross-pollinated by many species of bee. Butterflies and flies feed on the nectar and pollen. Caterpillars of butterflies and moths feed on the plant. The berries support gamebirds, songbirds and an assortment of mammals. Deer browse the foliage, twigs and fruit.
Propagation
Propagate by seeds that have undergone warm stratification for 30 days followed by cold incubation.
Ethnobotanical Uses
People eat huckleberries raw, jellied, or added to baked goods such as pancakes and muffins.
Garden Location
Library Garden, Performance Hall Garden (see garden map)
Sources
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Plant Profile by Kathy Kling