Taming a Wild Blueberry


The Evergreen "Huckleberry" has not been completely domesticated

Vaccinium ovatum is an evergreen blueberry that grows over much of the Pacific Northwest. It is commonly referred to as the "Evergreen Huckleberry" even though it is a true blueberry. The fruit are typically quite small, just over 1/4 inch diameter. During the 1930's, superior wild plants of Vaccinium ovatum were collected up and down Oregon's coastal mountains, and were grown commercially for many years in Lincoln County, near Chitwood, Oregon. Local fruit expert Morris X. Smith has selected several large-fruited and very productive clones from these old abandoned commercial plots before they disappear into the lush forest. Seed from these superior selections has been deposited at the Repository, and is available as our accession VAC 1212. The fruit in the photo is slightly shriveled, as the branches were carried for two days by covered wagon before arriving in Corvallis where they were photographed just prior to seed extraction.
J. Postman, 6 June 1996