Huckleberry Tree/Bush

baymule

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When I was a kid, my grandmother made huckleberry jam. They had 40 acres surrounded by paper company lands. I loved going there and have many memories of going to their farm. One of those memories is cold mornings, the propane heater warming the house, and breakfast! Grandmother cooked bacon, eggs and biscuits. For those biscuits was huckleberry jam, the best jam ever!

I have looked over the years for huckleberry bushes, but to no avail. The tiny, seedy berries remained elusive to me.

Now it is many years later, my grandparents long gone and huckleberries are a warm memory of the past.

I went walking in our woods last week, just enjoying the beauty crafted by the hand of God. I'd walk a bit, then stop to take it all in. On one of my stops, by the gully at the property line, was some small round berries hanging over my head. Green briar vines crawled all over the trees and bushes, choking them. Green briars have small dark berries this time of year, so I inspected them closer. Sure enough there were green briar berries, but there was something more. Small dark berries hung from a filagree of slender stems. I ran down the list of what they might be and drew the conclusion, could it be??? Huckleberries?? I picked one and rolled it over my tongue. A broad smile spread over my face as I realized my life long quest was over. Growing right here on our own property was what I remembered from time gone past.

I went to the house all excited, telling my husband about the huckleberry bush( or small tree) and what it meant to me. He got as excited as I was. I picked a little over a cup full and have them in the refrigerator. I'm waiting on more to ripen, there isn't many of them, but if I can get enough for even one small jar of huckleberry jam, I'll be thrilled.

And the best part? There are three huckleberry bushes big enough to bear fruit plus small plants less than two feet tall. I tagged eleven huckleberry bushes, total. We are going to transplant the smallest ones to the garden.

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sumi

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Wow, baymule, what a wonderful find after all those years and on your own property! I remember fondly the years gone by when my dad used to take us out into the veld and taught us which berries were edible and where to find them :) Here so far I found some edible berries, but I'm still learning about them all.
 

Britesea

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dh says you might want to check before transplanting those little 'uns; he claims huckleberries don't move graciously, which is why you don't see them except in the wild.
 

baymule

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I have them tagged and will move them when it gets colder and they are dormant. Then I'll baby them and be really really nice and hope they survive.
 
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