Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects
Vaccinium ovatum
Evergreen huckleberry
At a Glance: Bushy shrub with small shiny green evergreen leaves and small clusters of pink bell-shaped flowers.
Height: Up to 4 meters (13 ft) tall.
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Young twigs are slightly hairy.
Leaves: Small evergreen, dark glossy green, egg-shaped with finely toothed margins, 2-5 cm long. Young leaves are red-tinged.
Flowers: In small clusters along branches; flowers are bell-shaped, pink, to 8 mm long.
Flowering Period: April, May, June, July.
Fruits: Dark purplish-black berries to 7 mm diameter; edible.
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 full sun > 80%  mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
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low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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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 |
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
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
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
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
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover
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Birds: Birds eat the berries.
Insects: Bees and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.
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Food Uses: The delicious berries last into late fall.
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Suggested References
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
