Gaylussacia baccata
Black Huckleberry
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Gaylussacia genus in the family Ericaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Gaylussacia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 1 m
- Spread
- 1 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw or cooked[4][10][13]. Deliciously spicy and sweet, they can be eaten out of hand or used in pies, preserves etc[3]. They can also be dried for later use[14]. The dried fruit can be ground into a powder then mixed with cereal flours to make bread[9]. The fruit is rather seedy[7]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[5].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
An infusion of the leaves, or the bark, has been used in the treatment of dysentery[9]. An infusion of the leaves has been used in the treatment of Bright's disease[9].
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Miscellany
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Georgia, Manitoba, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 6+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- very acid, acid
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame[5]. Stored seed requires 1 month warm stratification followed by 2 months cold[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots of lime-free compost and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer when they are at least 15cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[5]. Layering. Division in spring.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a lime-free moist peaty soil, thriving in sun or part shade[10][2][5]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[5]. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties selected for their larger fruits[6][12]. The small oval leaves are covered with globules on the underside from which a resinous gum is exuded[8].
References
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009
Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.
Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009