Huckleberry plants?????????

[All country]

My Son-in-law ordered some Huckleberry plants.

He asked me about their growth habits. I know nothing about them.
Maybe one of you might know more about them?

Anyway;
Do they grow back each year?
How does one care for them?
Any special soil needs?

Any information at all would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[big rockpile]

They take a High Acid soil.But I would much rather have Blueberries.

big rockpile

[ksfarmer]

The huckleberry plants I raised one year were an annual plant. At least here in zone 5. I just grew them in my vegetable garden, no special care. I really didn't care too much for them,,,,did make a "passable" pie.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Huckleberry ice cream is the BEST!

[big rockpile]

We have wild Huckleberrys here,but we also have wild Lowbush Blueberries that everyone tries to call Huckleberries.




big rockpile

[ann fr]

Here Huckleberries are an annual but they grow very well from seed.Save seed in the fall,re plant in early spring.You'd never have to buy plants.I grow them here in Ontario from seed.

[stanb999]

I thought that Huckleberrys were kinda like Blueberries in that they were a perennial? They are like a blueberry only black?

I second the notion of getting blueberries tho. They are wayyyy better.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Huckleberry info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckleberry

http://huckleberryfestival.com/

Plants:
http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/Nurs...rt/Various.htm

[emulkahi1]

Interesting post. I live in MT and, given all of the Montana Huckleberry products (they're EVERYwhere, especially in tourist shopping hot spots), I've always thought that growing huckleberries would possibly be a good market crop. Another plus being that it would leave the wild-growing ones for the critters that depend on them for their sustenance.

Here is a copy/paste from the above mentioned wikipedia link (just because sometimes I skim over links and thought this was good info). I wasn't aware of all of the different varieties....some that are called 'huckleberries' while actually being a part of the nightshade family.

Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae: Gaylussacia and Vaccinium. The Huckleberry is the state fruit of Idaho.

While some Vaccinium species, such as the Red Huckleberry, are always called huckleberries, other species may be called blueberries or huckleberries depending upon local custom. Usually, the distinction between them is that blueberries have numerous tiny seeds, while huckleberries have 10 larger seeds (making them more difficult to eat).

Note that there is much confusion in naming of berries in American English. The 'garden huckleberry' (Solanum melanocerasum) is not considered to be a true huckleberry but a member of the nightshade family.