Plant of the Month, June 2004

Complete Index
June Index

Back • Next

Vaccinium ovatum 'Thunderbird'

 

Other cultivars/Species: V. ‘Wunderlicht’, V. ‘Maureen’s Select’,  V.  macrocarpon.

Can be trimmed as a hedge or grown in containers.
The berries are well-liked, and people are known to travel far to collect them.  They are eaten fresh, often with oil, or they were dried into cakes.
They begin to ripen in early autumn, but remain on the bushes until December, and are still treasured today as winter berries, said to taste better after the first frost.

References: 

Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, Ed. 2001. Sunset Western Garden Book. Sunset Publishing Corporation, Menlo Park, CA.

at a glance:
Common Name:
Evergreen Huckleberry
Plant type: Evergreen shrub
Family: Ericaceae
Height/Spread: 3 feet tall and wide in sun, in shade 8-10 feet tall high. Spread is 1 to 1.5 ft.
Leaves: 
Alternate, evergreen, egg-shaped, leathery, sharp-toothed, dark shiny green on top, paler below, 2-5 cm long.
Flowers
: 
Pink, bell-shaped, to 8 mm long: in clusters of 3-10, in axils of leaves.
Bloom Period: April-July
Disease/pests: 
Birds love the berries.
Conditions: Sun or shade, moderate to regular water.
Natural Range:

Native to Pacific coastal region, along the edges and openings of  (low elevations) coniferous forests.
Hardiness:
Zones: USDA 7-9; (Sunset) 4-7, 14-17, 22-24.
Location:  On the right side of entry to Yao Garden.


Copyright 2008 Bellevue Botanical Garden Society. All rights reserved.
This site is sponsored and maintained by volunteers of the

Bellevue Botanical Garden Society

Sign up Now for Email Updates
Email:

City of Bellevue

In partnership with the City of Bellevue

CONTACT US
Email:




Phone:
Bellevue Botanical Garden, 425.452.2750
Bellevue Botanical Garden Society,  425.451.3755

Mail:
Bellevue Botanical Garden
12001 Main Street
Bellevue, WA 98005

Bellevue Botanical Garden Society
PO Box 40536
Bellevue WA 98015-4536

Bellevue Botanical Garden Society awarded
2005 Citation of Merit for an Organization
Presented by the Washington Recreation and Park Association

Home  

Plant Collection 

Site Index