Herb: Box Huckleberry


Latin name: Gaylussacia brachycera


Synonyms: Vaccinium brachycerum, Vaccinium buxifolium


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Edible parts of Box Huckleberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Not highly regarded. Tasteless. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
45 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

On slopes and in dry sandy woods on dry acidic sandy soils.

Other uses of Box Huckleberry:

A good ground cover plant. Spreading quite freely, it should be spaced about 30cm apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 1 month warm stratification followed by 2 months cold. 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. Layering. Division in spring.

Cultivation of Box Huckleberry:

On slopes and in dry sandy woods on dry acidic sandy soils.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Gaylussacia brachycera:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.