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: big huckleberry - ovalleaf huckleberry - evergreen huckleberry - grouse whortleberry Additional Range Information: Vaccinium parvifolium is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting red huckleberry. More: Fall Color External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson