Virginia Tech Dendrology

red huckleberry Ericaceae Vaccinium parvifolium Sm. symbol: VAPA
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, elliptical to ovate, small (1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long), margins entire, green above and paler below, leaves very thin.
Flower: Perfect, small (1/4 inch long), greenish-white or pinkish, bell-shaped, borne singly in leaf axils.
Fruit: Small (1/4 inch diameter), bright red berries with translucent skins, delicious.
Twig: Young twigs are bright green and ribbed or angled, buds are small and red.
Bark: Thin, smooth, and reddish brown.
Form: An upright, finely branched deciduous shrub commonly growing 4 to 10 feet tall (sometimes larger).
Looks like: bilberry - Cascade bilberry - evergreen huckleberry - grouse whortleberry

Additional Range Information: Vaccinium parvifolium is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information