Black Huckleberry

Scientific Name: Gaylussacia baccata. The species name, baccata, is a Latin word meaning “berry-bearing” and tells us that this plant bears berries!

Common Name: Black Huckleberry. The berries are indeed a dark blue-black when ripe! The word huckleberry was first used in the late 1600s and may be a version of hurtleberry or whortleberry, both old-fashioned names for a type of blueberry.¹ Another name given to this plant is crackleberry. Why might it be called that?²

Family: Ericaceae (Heath family). With a nearly worldwide distribution, the heath family has over 4000 species. The family encompasses everything from herbs and shrubs to trees all of which are perennial plants and most often are found growing in acidic soils. With so many species, there is a lot of variation in the structure of the plants, but many have leaves which are alternate, undivided, and often small and leathery. The flower parts (petals, sepals, and stamens) are often in multiples of 4 or 5. Fruits can be berries, capsules (fruits that dry out and split open), or drupes (fleshy with one large seed). Can you guess any other species in this family? There are many that you may be familiar with – blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) have tasty fruits. There are many other native plants in this family which have been cultivated as ornamental plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and mountain laurel.^3,4

Average Height: 1-3’

Description: A perennial, deciduous plant that often grows in colonies, spreading through horizontal shoots that can grow roots. The numerous branches are somewhat stiff and break easily. Older stems have gray bark, while newer stems may be yellowish green. The yellow-green, oval leaves are untoothed, measure 1-2” long and about half as wide and alternate along the stem. Both sides of the leaves are dotted with resinous yellow glands. Looking at the leaves from different angles in the sun or looking at them through a hand lens can really make the glands stand out! Clusters of drooping flowers grow from the base of the leaves. The individual flowers are pink to red, measure about ¼” long, and are urn-shaped with 5 small lobes. The fruits are round berries that turn from green to dark blue or black when they are ready to eat in July or August. The berries measure up to ⅓” across and have 10 seeds.^4,8,9,10

Bloom time: Apr – Jun

Notes: Gaylussacia baccata can be distinguished from similar looking blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) and huckleberries (Gaylussacia spp.) by the looking for the yellow resin glands which appear on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves!⁸

Range: Found in every county in Virginia, black huckleberry is common throughout the state.⁷ A species of eastern and central United States and Canada, it primarily grows from Maine west to Wisconsin, south to Tennessee and east to North Carolina. It is more rarely found from Minnesota south to Arkansas and from Alabama to South Carolina. In Canada, it may be found from Newfoundland west to Manitoba.^5,6

Geology/Soil: Prefers dry, acidic and sandy or rocky soils, but sometimes found in moist areas.^2,4

Habitat: Most strongly associated with fairly flat or gently sloping terrain in dry acidic forests, woodlands, clearings or outcrops. Less often found in wetter soils of flatwoods or boggy forests. Frequently grows with blueberries or other species from the heath family.^7,8,9,10

Flora associations: Typically found with other plants that thrive in dry acidic conditions. Trees may include many species of oaks (Quercus spp.) such as white oak (Q. alba), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), chestnut oak (Q. montana), and black oak (Q. velutina), plus pines (Pinus spp.), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and red maple (Acer rubrum). A dense shrub layer may include many other plants from the heath family including blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), and wild azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides). Fewer herbaceous species are typically found with black huckleberry but pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule), eastern bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), dwarf iris (Iris verna), spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), and mountain bellwort (Uvularia puberula) favor similar conditions.^8,11

Fauna associations: Many types of bees contribute to pollinating the flowers of black huckleberry including bumblebees (Bombus spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees, Andrenid bees, and (non-native) honeybees. Syrphid flies and butterflies may also be attracted to the flowers. The caterpillars of a Tortricid moth (Olethreutes bacctanum) depend on the black huckleberry for food. Caterpillars of many other species of moths and butterflies feed on parts of the plant. Examples include Henry’s elfin butterfly (Callophrys henrici), a leaf-mining moth (Phyllonorycter diversella), and the cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii) which eats the fruit and seeds! Other animals, such as the gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and the American black bear, appreciate this tasty fruit snack. Dense thickets may also provide cover and nesting sites.^9,12

Human associations: People past and present have enjoyed the sweet edible fruit of Gaylussacia baccata which can be dried, frozen, eaten raw, made into jam or sauce, or used in breads, pies, and cobblers. Yum! Over time, people have found a variety of medicinal uses for Gaylussacia baccata as well. The Cherokee people use a tea from the leaves to treat dysentery, while the Haudenosaunee see health benefits to the liver and blood from eating the berries. The Haudenosaunee also use the berries during a ceremony for those looking for health and prosperity, while the Cherokee celebrate a huckleberry festival in July.^13,14

We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!

1 “Huckleberry, N. Meanings, Etymology and More | Oxford English Dictionary.” Oed.com, 2023, www.oed.com/dictionary/huckleberry_n?tab=factsheet#1385063, https://doi.org/10.1093//OED//1042837581. Accessed 15 July 2024.

2 “Gaylussacia Baccata – FNA.” Floranorthamerica.org, floranorthamerica.org/Gaylussacia_baccata. Accessed 15 July 2024.

3 ‌“Ericaceae – FNA.” Floranorthamerica.org, floranorthamerica.org/Ericaceae.

‌4 Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J.F. Townsend. 2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press, pp. 528-533.

5 “NatureServe Explorer 2.0.” Natureserve.org, 2025, explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.151994/Gaylussacia_baccata. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

6 “2014 BONAP Maps by States.” Bonap.net, 15 Dec. 2014, bonap.net/FieldMaps/Home/SingleMap?taxonId=9731&mapType=County. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

7 “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Gaylussacia Baccata (Wangenh.) K. Koch.” Vaplantatlas.org, 2025, www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=557&search=Search. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

8 “Vascular Plants of North Carolina – Gaylussacia Baccata.” Ncparks.gov, 2019, auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

9 “Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia Baccata).” Illinoiswildflowers.info, 2025, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/bl_huckleberry.htm. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

10 “Gaylussacia Baccata (Black Huckleberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” Plants.ces.ncsu.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gaylussacia-baccata/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

11 “Oak / Heath Forests.” Www.dcr.virginia.gov, 4 Mar. 2021, www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/nctc6. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

12 “Search – Huckleberry.” Bugguide.net, 2024, bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=huckleberry&search=Search. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

13 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Brit.org, 2025, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=gaylussacia+baccata. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

14 Cherokee Nation. “Cherokee Ethnobiology: Huckleberry.” 2011. https://www.cherokee.org/media/kxhf2fog/huckleberry.pdf. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Definitions:

Sepal: A leaf-like structure on the outer part of the flower.

Stamen: The male reproductive part of a flower, composed of an anther which bears pollen attached to the tip of a long thin stalk called a filament.