Grouse Whortleberry
Scientific Name: Vaccinium scoparium Leiberg ex Coville
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Usda Symbol | VASC |
| Group | Dicot |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Growth Habits | ShrubSubshrub, |
| Native Locations | VASC |
Plant Guide
Alternate Names
Littleleaf huckleberry, whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, red huckleberry
Uses
Ethnobotany. The small berries are eaten by the Mlaka’-pamus in British Columbia, and the Okanagan-Colville and Kootenay people in the Pacific Northwest. The berries are picked with a comb and usually eaten fresh. However, berries are gathered less commonly in modern times due to their size and the limited number produced. Like the wild strawberries, the tiny red fruits are sweet and delicious and well worth the effort. They are also used by backpackers. Grouse huckleberry is sometimes used horticulturally, due to its bright green stems, pretty pink flowers and red fruits, and tolerance to a wide range of light levels. Wildlife. For several species of grouse, these are among the most important summer and early fall foods. They are also important to songbirds, chipmunks, mice, and other mammals. Grouse huckleberry is not a favorable browse due to its small size. However, small mammals, such as rabbits, browse freely on the plants.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).
Description
General: Heath Family (Ericaceae). Littleleaf huckleberry is a small, broom-like, U.S. native, deciduous shrub <5 dm tall. The twigs are strongly angled and green. The leaves are 8-15 mm, ovate, and serrate. The flowers are solitary, urn-shaped, pink blossoms in the axils of the lowest leaves and youngest shoots. The bright red berry is tiny, 3-6 mm in diameter. Distribution: For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site. Grouse huckleberry ranges from Alaska south to California, northern New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, and Alberta. It can be found from 760-2300 m in the Pacific Northwest, from 1800-2300 m in California, and from 2600-3800 m in Colorado. This plant is rare in California. Habitat: Grouse huckleberry grows in rocky subalpine to alpine woods to open slopes. It grows in acidic soils in both moist and dry sites, but is most common in sandy or gravelly loams and is always found in the understory of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands.
Establishment
Grouse huckleberry can be propagated by rhizome cuttings. Seed collections: The berries ripen from late July through September. After collection, place the berries in a plastic bag and keep them at 5 degrees C from a few days to a few weeks. Clean seed by macerating and floating the pulp and unsound seed off the top. Seed should be dried before storing. One study reported best germination with a cold stratification with warm night temperatures of 10 degrees C. Seed reportedly does not need pretreatment to germinate.
Management
This plant grows very rapidly in moist, shady conditions, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Grouse Whortleberry., If summer drought occurs, the plants should be watered so roots are kept fairly moist, Traditional Resource Management of this plant includes the following: 1) occasional burning to stimulate new growth; 2) pruning the branches after picking the berries to stimulate new growth and fruit production the next growing season; and 3) ownership of huckleberry shrubs provides the basis for careful tending and sustainable yield of valed resources, Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) Contact your local Natural Resources
Conservation
Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”
References
Cooke, S.S. 1997. A field guide to the common wetland plants of western Washington and northwestern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. 414p. Dirr, M.A. & C.W. Heuser. 1987. The reference manual of woody propagation: From seed to tissue culture. Varsity Press, Athens, Georgia. 239p. Crossley, J.A. 1974. Vaccinium L. blueberry. Pp. 840-843. In: Shopmeyer, C.S (tech. coord.), Seeds of the Woody Plants in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Agric. Handbook 450, Washington, D.C. 883p. Gunther, E. 1973. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Publ. in Anthropology 10(1). University of Washington Press, Seattle. Harbinger, L.J. 1964. The importance of food plants in the maintenance of Nez Perce cultural identity. Thesis, M.A. in Anthropology. Washington State University, Seattle. Harrington, H.D. 1972. Western edible wild plants. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 156p. Hickman, J.C. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley. 1399p. Kunlein, H.V. & N.J. Turner. 1991. Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples. Nutrition, botany and use. Food and Nutrition in History and Anthropology, Volume 8. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers. 632p. Leigh, M. (August) 1997. Grow your own native landscape: A guide to identifying, propagating, and landscaping with western Washington native plants. Environmental Protection Agency, The Washington State Department of Ecology, and Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, and A.L. Nelson. 1951. American wildlife and plants: A guide to wildlife food habits. Dover Publication, Inc., New York. 500p. Moore, M. 1979. Medicinal plants of the mountain west. Museum of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 200p. Peck, M.E. 1961. A manual of the higher plants of Oregon. Binfords & Mort., Portland, Oregon. 936p. Romme, W.H. L. Bohland, C. Persichetty, & T. Caruso. 1995. Germination ecology of some common forest herbs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. Arctic and Alpine Research 27(4):407-412. Rose, R., C.E.C. Chachulski, & D Haase. 1998. Propagation of Pacific Northwest native plants. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis. Tirmenstein, D.A. 1990. Vaccinium scoparium. In Fischer, W.C. (comp.) The Fire Effects Information System. Accessed 970312. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/Shrub/VACPAR. USDA Forest Service. 1988. Range plant handbook. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 816p. USDA NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS web site. Accessed 070122. http://plants.usda.gov. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Young, J.A. & C.G. Young. 1974. Collecting, processing, and germinating seeds of wildland plants. Timber Press, Portland.
Plant Traits
Growth Requirements
| Temperature, Minimum (°F) | -13 |
|---|---|
| Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils | Yes |
| Adapted to Fine Textured Soils | No |
| Adapted to Medium Textured Soils | Yes |
| Anaerobic Tolerance | None |
| CaCO3 Tolerance | None |
| Cold Stratification Required | Yes |
| Drought Tolerance | Medium |
| Fertility Requirement | Low |
| Fire Tolerance | High |
| Frost Free Days, Minimum | 100 |
| Hedge Tolerance | High |
| Moisture Use | Medium |
| pH, Maximum | 7.0 |
| pH, Minimum | 5.0 |
| Planting Density per Acre, Maxim | 19000 |
| Planting Density per Acre, Minim | 1200 |
| Precipitation, Maximum | 69 |
| Precipitation, Minimum | 19 |
| Root Depth, Minimum (inches) | 12 |
| Salinity Tolerance | None |
| Shade Tolerance | Tolerant |
Morphology/Physiology
| Bloat | None |
|---|---|
| Toxicity | None |
| Resprout Ability | Yes |
| Shape and Orientation | Erect |
| Active Growth Period | Spring and Summer |
| C:N Ratio | High |
| Coppice Potential | Yes |
| Fall Conspicuous | Yes |
| Fire Resistant | Yes |
| Flower Color | Red |
| Flower Conspicuous | Yes |
| Foliage Color | Green |
| Foliage Porosity Summer | Dense |
| Foliage Porosity Winter | Porous |
| Foliage Texture | Coarse |
| Fruit/Seed Conspicuous | Yes |
| Nitrogen Fixation | None |
| Low Growing Grass | No |
| Lifespan | Moderate |
| Leaf Retention | No |
| Known Allelopath | No |
| Height, Mature (feet) | 2.0 |
| Height at 20 Years, Maximum (fee | 1 |
| Growth Rate | Rapid |
| Growth Form | Rhizomatous |
| Fruit/Seed Color | Red |
Reproduction
| Vegetative Spread Rate | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Small Grain | No |
| Seedling Vigor | High |
| Seed Spread Rate | Rapid |
| Fruit/Seed Period End | Fall |
| Seed per Pound | 1000000 |
| Propagated by Tubers | No |
| Propagated by Sprigs | No |
| Propagated by Sod | No |
| Propagated by Seed | Yes |
| Propagated by Corm | No |
| Propagated by Container | Yes |
| Propagated by Bulb | No |
| Propagated by Bare Root | Yes |
| Fruit/Seed Persistence | No |
| Fruit/Seed Period Begin | Summer |
| Fruit/Seed Abundance | High |
| Commercial Availability | Contracting Only |
| Bloom Period | Early Summer |
| Propagated by Cuttings | Yes |
Suitability/Use
| Veneer Product | No |
|---|---|
| Pulpwood Product | No |
| Protein Potential | Low |
| Post Product | No |
| Palatable Human | Yes |
| Palatable Graze Animal | Low |
| Palatable Browse Animal | Low |
| Nursery Stock Product | Yes |
| Naval Store Product | No |
| Lumber Product | No |
| Fodder Product | No |
| Christmas Tree Product | No |
| Berry/Nut/Seed Product | No |