Gaylussacia brachycera
Box Huckleberry
a perennial woody evergreen member of the Gaylussacia genus in the family Ericaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Gaylussacia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 0.45 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[7][9]. Not highly regarded[4]. Tasteless[2][5]. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter[5].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
A good ground cover plant[5]. Spreading quite freely, it should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[6].
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Soil surface
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America - Delaware and Pennsylvania to Virginia.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- permanent 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[3][5]. Prefers a position in partial or full shade[6]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[5]. This species rarely sets viable seed[5]. There is a colony in New Jersey that covers 3.8 hectares of land, it is estimated to be 10,000 years old and to have originated vegetatively from one single mother plant[5].
References
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
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
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
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
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009