Red Huckleberry

Vaccinium parvifolium

General: Erect shrub to 4 m tall; branches bright green, very strongly angled, smooth or (when young) slightly hairy.

Leaves: Alternate, mostly deciduous but with a few persistent; oval, to 3 cm long, not toothed (except occasionally on young leaves).

Flowers: Greenish-yellowish or pinkish, bell- or urn-shaped, up to 5 mm long; single in leaf axils.

Fruits: Bright-red, round berries, to 1 cm across; edible, a little sour for some tastes.

Ecology: Coniferous forest, often at forest edges or under canopy openings, in soils rich in decaying wood, often on stumps or logs; at low to middle elevations.

Notes:  Red huckleberry is the dominant Vaccinium in the Oregon Coast Ranges.  These red berries were used as fish bait in streams. They were popular and were eaten fresh by all coastal aboriginal groups within the range of the plant.