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Propagating Huckleberries

 
pioneer
Posts: 68
Location: Inland NW 2300' Zone4b frost pocket valley mouth river sand
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What have you seen work?

Has anyone tried planting bear poop?

Someone has an irregular nursery nearby and they sell potted huckleberries, which are not allowed to be removed from the National forests. I don't think they are stealing them or digging them, though. I think they are propagating them. They are a trick to get a hold of, so I will get back to you if I ever hear how they do it. I bought a Bearss lime from them last year and killed it, so I'm hoping to run into them again. But meanwhile...

They say huckleberries can't be propagated because they need a high altitude to grow, but this is obviously a lie. There are little remnant low-elevation huckleberry bushes all over the place, in very protected areas that don't have a lot of weed pressure. They were probably growing right down to the valley a few hundred years ago, like most of the mountain plants, before the forests were all cut and European transplants, grass and asphalt took over. This is from a Western US perspective of course, but all mountainous regions probably have their desirable species that no longer grow at low elevation due to weed pressure.

So my point is, someone planted them. They don't spread by themselves, so they were planted, or the land was protected from weedy species and some animal planted them. So how did it happen? I'm hoping someone has an idea. I'm going to try bear poop. I love garden planning season!
 
steward
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There are 2 types of Huckleberries in BC. The red ones are planted by birds on stumps (via their poop) so far as I know. I've occasionally tried transplanting one that was in the way of danger, but never had any success. The red ones on my property produce better with a little sun, but are definitely understory plants.

I'm at sea level, relatively speaking, about a mile from the coast.
 
gardener
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This could become an interesting thread. Maybe some enterprising boot at Paul's place might muster up the gumption to go bear poop hunting. And build a bear poop garden. Any manner of interesting things might grow.

j

 
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I do not have first hand experience with huckleberries but I have looked into them as a potential fruit shrub for my property.  I looked at specifically black huckleberries. The best explanation I could find is that you can indeed take cuttings in the winter to try and propagate but it is a gamble if you will end up with any. Sometimes they root, other times they do not.

This makes me want one more!
 
pollinator
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Location: Clackamas Oregon, USA zone 8b
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Oh goodness I'd love to have some huckleberries from up in the mountains!  I like the red ones at the coast too, but the blue mountain ones are the best up in the Cascades where I camp up at Lost Lake near Mt. Hood.  I know though that they're adapted to grow at altitude so wouldn't do well down here.  I do have a nice blueberry plant though which, I'm hoping, will thrive and, because its not being grown industrially, I hope it will do well and taste good, unlike the blueberries that have little taste and are kind of squishy.  It won't be huckleberries, but it could be close.
 
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You could always try to grow them from seed. Any sources I've found online say that germination is rare and difficult, but I decided to try anyway. I picked the berries from the shore of Lake Superior in July and saved a bunch of seeds. I sowed some in pots immediately. I cold stratified some for a few months. I direct sowed some outside, which I don't think will be successful. The attached pictures show the ones that were sowed immediately (the bigger plant), and the cold strat ones (little tiny seedlings). I used fox farm Happy Frog potting soil and sprinkled the seeds on top and watered them. It took about a month to germinate each batch. Germination was low, but successful. Oh and to be clear, the species is Vaccinium membranaceum.
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