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Vaccinium ovatum is a species of flowering shrub known by the common names Evergreen Huckleberry and California Huckleberry.
Vaccinium ovatum is a small to medium sized evergreen shrub native to the Western Pacific Coast of the United States and coastal British Columbia. Typical flora associates are such plants as the Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum), Coastal woodfern (Dryopteris arguta), California Snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis), Common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), and Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus).[1]
Vaccinium ovatum is a true Huckleberry plant, growing well in shade or sun and thriving in acidic soils. Not needing much sun, the plant has a wide variety of forest homes; it is often seen sprouting out of old Coast Redwood stumps or dense brambles of other forest growths. The shiny, alternately arranged leaves are 2 to 3 centimeters long and about a centimeter wide with finely serrated edges.[2] During the summer the plant produces round, edible black berries up to a centimeter in diameter. Traditionally these berries were sought after and collected by many Native American tribes along the Pacific coast in the region.[3]
Vaccinium ovatum is grown for horticultural use by specialty wholesale, retail, and botanic garden native plant nurseries. The plant is successful in naturalistic and native plant palette style public landscapes and private gardens that are similar to its habitat conditions.
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