Plant pick: Evergreen huckleberry

Published 12:58 pm Wednesday, September 9, 2009

What: Evergreen huckleberry, vaccinium ovatum, is one of the Northwest’s most versatile yet underused native plants.

Why plant it: Typically thought of as a woodland plant, it performs equally well in full sun.

In spring its small, leathery leaves have tones of copper and bronze that mature to shiny, dark green.

Small, urn-shaped white flowers hang under the foliage in spring, turning to succulent blue-black berries by late summer, ideal for jam or jelly. Its small leaves create a fine texture, but its slightly irregular growth habit keeps it interesting.

Where: Evergreen huckleberry is an adaptable plant, growing from full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. It grows well in average or moist conditions, but it is also drought tolerant once established.

How: Use evergreen huckleberry in informal groupings or as a natural low screen. It can also be sheared into a dense formal hedge. It contrasts well with plants with larger leaves, such as rhododendrons.

Actual size: This upright, bushy, evergreen shrub reaches 6 feet tall and 7 feet wide, but it can easily be kept to 3 feet high by 4 feet wide with regular pruning.

Learn more: See www.greatplantpicks.org.

Source: Great Plant Picks