Vaccinium scoparium is a species of huckleberry known by the common names grouse whortleberry, grouseberry, and littleleaf huckleberry.
Description Vaccinium scoparium is a squat, bushy rhizomatous shrub growing no more than in height. It is matted and clumpy, and it spreads outward with the stems rooting at nodes where it comes in contact with moist substrate. The branches are broomlike when leaflike and new green twigs have sharp angles. The deciduous leaves are alternately arranged, the serrated oval leaf blades up to in length.
Solitary flowers occur in the leaf axils. They are urn-shaped, pink, and about long,
The fruit is a soft, bright red berry up to in width. It has a tart flavor.Flora of North America, Vaccinium scoparium Leiberg ex Coville, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 5: 103. 1897. Grouse whortleberry
Similar species It resembles Vaccinium myrtillus, which has bluish berries.
Distribution and habitat It is native to western North America, primarily in the Rockies, Cascades, and Black Hills from British Columbia and Alberta south to far northern California to Colorado and New Mexico, and east to South Dakota.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map It grows in mountain habitat such as forests, meadows, and talus, occurring in subalpine and alpine climates at elevations of . It is a common understory plant in many forested regions of the Rocky Mountains, being common to abundant in some areas.US Forest Service Fire Ecology
Ecology This shrub provides food for many large mammal species, such as elk, mule deer, and bears, and many smaller animals, such as squirrels, foxes, skunks, and a variety of birds.
Uses The berries are edible and were used for food by many Native American groups, including the Kootenay, Okanogan, and Shuswap. They are small and difficult to collect in large quantities, and Native people likely used combs made of wood or fishbones to harvest them.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment: Vaccinium scoparium United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile — Vaccinium scoparium Washington Burke Museum, University of Washington Vaccinium scoparium — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California