BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Vaccinium ovatum | Evergreen Huckleberry 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Evergreen huckleberry is a much-branched, stout erect, or semispreading
evergreen shrub [28,40,51] which reaches 1.5 to 15 feet (0.5-4.6 m) in
height [34,39].  Plants often become spindly and clambering with
extremes of either moisture or shade [28].  Twigs are reddish-brown and
covered with short hairs [21,39].  Stem morphology has been examined in
detail [43].  Plants often possess a "massive" rootcrown which comprises
up to 15.4 percent of the total belowground biomass [65].  Belowground
biomass is distributed as follows [65]:

              rootcrown          15.4 percent
              lateral roots       5.0 percent
              taproot            79.6 percent

Numerous, alternate leaves are thick, leathery, and ovate to
oblong-lanceolate [21,27,51].  Leaves are rounded at the base but acute
at the apex [40].  The upper surface is shiny, glossy, and dark green,
whereas the underside is dull and paler [34,40,51].  Leaves typically
have serrate margins [27].

The fragrant, bell-shaped flowers are pink to whitish [34,51,57].
Flowers are borne at the leaf axils in clusters of 3 to 10 and are
primarily pollinated by long-tongued bees such as bumblebees [21,27,39].
Floral morphology has been examined in detail [44].  Fruit is a small,
broadly ovoid to spherical berry [39,40,49,51].  Berries of evergreen
huckleberry are shiny, purplish to black and generally lack bloom
[9,27,57].  Berries are borne in large clusters located close to the
branches [21,39] and contain numerous small seeds [34].

The variety saporosum is distinguished by fruit which is glaucous, pear-
shaped, and more flavorful than that of the variety ovatum [40].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte
   Geophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Evergreen huckleberry is capable of reproducing through seed or by
vegetative means.  However, vegetative regeneration appears to be of
primary importance in most western huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) [37].

Seed:  Evergreen huckleberry, a cluster-fruited Vaccinium, can produce
10 to 20 times more fruit than single-fruited huckleberries of similar
size [39].  Fruit is typically produced in great abundance whenever
conditions are favorable [51,57].  Seeds of most Vaccinium spp. are not
dormant and require no pretreatment for germination [9].  Seedlings
first emerge in approximately 1 month and continue to emerge for long
periods of time in the absence of cold stratification [9].  However,
seedlings of most western huckleberries are rarely observed in the field
[37].  Seeds of evergreen huckleberry usually exhibit fairly good
germination under laboratory conditions, but early growth is generally
very slow [34].  Berries are widely dispersed by birds and mammals [21].

Vegetative regeneration:  Sprouting has been well-documented in
evergreen huckleberry [32,34], but specific details are lacking.  Most
species of Vaccinium regenerate from basal sprouts or underground
regenerative structures such as roots or rhizomes [48].  Root [29] or
rhizome sprouting is probable in the evergreen huckleberry.  However,
Westman and Whittaker [65] report that unlike most other western
huckleberries, evergreen huckleberry lacks rhizomes.  It reportedly
possesses a well-developed rootcrown [65] and sprouts from this
structure after aboveground vegetation is damaged.


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Evergreen huckleberry grows on dry slopes, in canyons, and on barren
ridges near the Pacific Coast [40,41,51].  It occurs on well-drained
microsites on both stabilized and active dunes of the northern Oregon
Coast and on steep slopes which face the ocean [15,26].  It commonly
forms dense thickets on open ridges in the fog belt of California [57].
Evergreen huckleberry is tolerant of both sun and shade [61].

Soil:  Huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) require acidic conditions and can
thrive where pH ranges from 4.3 to 5.2 [33].  These shrubs require
relatively small amounts of many essential elements and are capable of
growing on many relatively infertile soils [33].  Evergreen huckleberry
commonly occurs on nitrogen-poor soils [70].  It grows on well-drained
sandy and gravelly soils, and on silty loam [21,56], but generally
reaches greatest abundance on sandy soils [61].  Evergreen huckleberry
occurs on soils derived from a number of parent materials including
diorite, granodiorite, gabbro, and olivine-gabbro [50,66].  In the
Klamath Mountains, it typically occurs on soils derived from granitic or
metamorphic parent materials [50].

Climate:  Evergreen huckleberry grows across a wide range of moisture
regimes [66].  Many sites are droughty, or are characterized by summer
soil moisture stress [19,21].  In coastal British Columbia, evergreen
huckleberry occurs in mesothermal climatic zones characterized by wet,
cool summers [70].

Elevation:  Evergreen huckleberry occurs from near sea level to 3,000
feet (0-914 m) [51].  Generalized elevational ranges are as follows
[40,56]:

                 < 2,500 feet (762 m) in CA
                 from 0 to 300 feet (0-91 m) in western Oregon


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Evergreen huckleberry is tolerant of shade and persists in many climax
stands but also grows in early seral communities.  In parts of Oregon
and Washington, it occurs in climax forests dominated by western hemlock
and Douglas-fir [15,32].  Evergreen huckleberry is also a common
constituent of both dry and moist old growth redwood communities of
southwestern Oregon [15].

In coastal forests of southwestern Oregon, it is most abundant in
disturbed stands [3].  Cover of evergreen huckleberry by successional
stage, has been documented as follows in a rhododendron (Rhododendron
spp.)-Oregon grape (Berberis spp.) habitat type [3]:

                     mean percent cover
                             (years)
                1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8-9    10-15

undisturbed    15     2     6     11   13     1     5      9       1
disturbed       3     +     _     +    +      1     -      +       +


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Evergreen huckleberry generally flowers from March to July or August
[9,27].  Fruit ripens from July to September [9,61].  Seasonal
development by geographic area is as follows [9,21,40,49,56]:

         location               flowering       fruiting
         
         CA                     March-May       July-October
         Mason Co., WA          May-June        ----
         Pacific Northwest      April-August    ----
         w OR                   April-August    ----

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium ovatum | Evergreen Huckleberry