Huckleberry vs. Blueberry: What’s the Difference?

“Huckleberry” is the common name for the fruit of the Gaylussacia baccata plant and any number of plants in the Ericaceae family that grow throughout the Pacific Northwest and in Montana and Idaho. Huckleberry plants bear small berries with large seeds. They range in color from red to dark blue and are popular as the base for jams, pies, and huckleberry cobbler. Native Americans have also long used huckleberries for their medicinal properties.

The name “huckleberry” derives from “hurtleberry” or “whortleberry,” antiquated European names for the blueberry.

Blueberries are any number of small, sweet, dark blue berries that come from plants in the genus Vaccinium. (The European variety Vaccinium myrtillus also goes by the name “bilberry.”) Blueberry plants grow in acidic soil in wild or domesticated varieties throughout the Americas, as far north as Alaska and down through parts of South America.

The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is native to the eastern coast from Canada down to Florida. Lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium), also native to North America, are a creeping variety that prefers colder climates. You can enjoy blueberries raw and or cook them in pies and jams; check out nine popular blueberry recipes.

Blueberries and huckleberries can be similar in appearance and usage since they’re close relatives in the family Ericaceae. However, there are several ways to differentiate them:

1. 1. Availability: Wild huckleberry picking is popular in states like Washington, Oregon, and Alaska since huckleberries generally aren’t available in grocery stores. (Wild huckleberries are notoriously tricky to domesticate—and one of the grizzly bear’s favorite foods.) On the other hand, you can forage blueberries from the wild or buy them in many grocery stores. Here’s how to plant blueberries in your garden.
2. 2. Growth pattern: Blueberry bushes grow fruit in clusters on the plant level, but huckleberry bushes grow separate single berries. As a result, the overall yield from a blueberry bush is likely to be greater than a huckleberry bush of similar size.
3. 3. Interior color: Blueberries are pale green or white on the inside, but huckleberries are either blue or purple when split open.
4. 4. Seeds: Huckleberries are full of hard seeds, which can taste bitter if eaten. Blueberries, meanwhile, have much softer, tiny seeds inside.
5. 5. Taste: Huckleberry taste varies depending on the specific species of huckleberry. Red huckleberries are quite tart, whereas darker purple huckleberries have a sweeter flavor. Ripe blueberries tend to have a more uniform sweet flavor, though lowbush varieties have a more intense flavor than domesticated highbush varieties.

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