Vaccinium Species, Farkleberry, Sparkleberry, Tree-Huckleberry

Related to bluebrries but the berries are somewhat tart.
Beautiful flowers in spring and showy color change of foliage in fall....Read More /> Spindley and crooked trunk grows well in the understory of pines we have in Georgia on border line of 7b 8a USDA map.
We literally have thousands of them on our 37 acres of land.

I delighted upon discovering wild specimens in the forested ravine behind our house here in Mobile, AL. I'm selectively clearing the area...Read More and leaving a few good-sized specimens to grace my future woodland garden. It's something special. *smile*

Sam Rayburn Lake, Zone 8b:

Ahhh, sweet memories of post-depression years when my brother, and uncle who was 1 year older t...Read Morehan I picked Huckleberries and found them to be very tastey! Food was scarce in those days because of World War II.

Huckleberry is similiar in taste to Blueberry; both are delicious on pancakes, in muffins, or eaten fresh.
These wonderful trees grow wild in southeast, Texas!
Use the berries in cereal! It is simply delicious.

Remember Huckleberry Finn? LOL

Sparkleberry is one of the most beautiful native evergreen bushes growing in this area (Zone 8a.) It produces lovely small bell-shaped f...Read Morelowers in early spring that quickly develop into small green berries (oops, I should have carried the camera with me on that walk!). Its growth pattern reminds me of a Japanese flower arrangement - twisted, asymmetrical, graceful. I've seen primitive chairs made of its wood sold in a local gift shop. It's primarily an understory grower that tolerates drought, high temperates, some direct sunlight, is ignored by deer, and is a joy to see.

I too find it to be a slow grower. In a logged area, this plant has become widespread. It grows in thick thickets in a bottom area close ...Read Moreto the water table. It is found sparsely on the adjacent hills.

By accident, I have found this tree to be interesting for woodworking. The grain is very tight and the wood has a creamy color with a pinkish cast. The wood is extremely strong. If older specimens could be found, it would make a nice baseball bat or golfclub head.

I just identified the tree this year by the bell-shaped flowers.

BLB

A slow-growing, drought tolerant native that deserves to be grown more widely. The bitter fruit are not as desirable as some other fruit...Read Mores of this family, but the pretty exfoliating bark, tolerance to dry and somewhat-alkaline soil makes it a great plant for the landscape, especially if you have a woodland area.