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Bear Huckleberry
Gaylussacia ursina
34.9517, -82.9448
Field Notes
Description:
Bear huckleberry is a deciduous native shrub that generally grows 3 feet (or greater) in height. It forms large colonies. It has alternate leaves that are elliptic, 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) long, and 0.79 to 1.8 inches (2- 4.5 cm) wide. Flowers are in groups of 4-6, greenish-white, and begin forming on two-year wood. Fruits are black, sweet and juicy.
This spotting is of the ripening fruit.
Habitat:
Bear huckleberry occupies a narrow range. It occurs in the mountainous regions of North Carolina and adjacent parts of South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia.
This specimen was observed along the Oconee Bells Nature Trail at Devils Fork State Park near Salem, SC.
Notes:
Huckleberry fruits are palatable to many mammal species.
Bear huckleberry was an immediate and preserved food source utilized by Native Americans in the Cherokee tribe.
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