Huckleberry Plant Adaptations

Climate

• Huckleberries are adapted to the cool, moist climate of the coastal and northern U.S. and Canada mountain ranges. A winter rainy or snowy season and dry summers are the dominant characteristics of these regions. Fog is common in huckleberries' coastal habitats in summer, drifting in from the ocean to blanket the coastal mountains and receding each evening as the temperature drops. Fog and elevation moderate summer heat significantly, so even though there is little summer rainfall in the regions where huckleberries grow, the stress of drought is buffered by cool temperatures. Huckleberries are adapted to temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Shade

• Huckleberries are not well adapted to sunny conditions, preferring to grow in partial or full shade. One exception is in coastal scrublands, where they are found growing out in the open and constant heavy fog gives them a reprieve from the sun. Huckleberries are often found under large evergreen conifers like the coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which grows in USDA zones 8 to 10. They are particularly known for growing from hollowed-out stumps of old redwood trees, an adaptation that requires tolerance of extremely shady conditions.

Soil

• The soil beneath redwoods and the other conifers is quite acidic. Accordingly, huckleberries are adapted to a pH range of 4.3 to 5.2. They grow primarily in places of fertile topsoil with high organic matter content. Such soil has a high moisture-holding capacity, allowing huckleberries to withstand the seasonal variation of summer drought and winter inundations without wilting or succumbing to root rot.

Other Adaptations

• Historically, fire was a regular occurrence in the forests where huckleberries dwell. The thick bark of redwoods and other conifers protected them from low level fires, leaving only burned bark. Huckleberries would have been burned to the ground but are adapted to sprout from their roots after a fire. They are also adapted to frequent browsing by deer and other large herbivores. This stimulates a strong growth response from the energy reserves in the vast root system of the plant, causing vigorous new shoots to grow from the browsed areas.