Huckleberry Oak

Huckleberry Oak

A lovely and undeservedly rare species that grows throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains of California into the Siskiyou’s in Southern Oregon. A truly shrubby little thing, the Huckleberry Oak grows only 2-4 feet tall by about 4-6 feet wide and loosely resembles a huckleberry bush from afar. That is of course until it is covered in chocolate brown acorns and you realize that this little oddity is a Quercus species! A great plant for wildlife and an excellent one that’s hard to beat for hot dry slopes or baking hot parking strips.

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Latin Name: Quercus vaccinifolia
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Hardiness: Hardy to at least 0F
Bearing Age: 2-3 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 2-4 ft. in height by 4-6 ft. wide
Bloom Time: April
Ripening Time: September
Pests & Diseases: Oaks are susceptible to Sudden Oak Death, a fungal disease that can kill entire stands of oaks, though we’ve not seen it yet in our area or on Silver Oaks
USDA Zone: at least Zone 6, possibly lower