Grouse Whortleberries

Vaccinium scoparium (species), “Grouseberry”, “Littleleaf Huckleberry”

Vaccinium scoparium, known as grouse whortleberry, is one of the species in the Vaccinium genus, which includes huckleberries and blueberries. Unlike some of its more popular relatives like Vaccinium membranaceum (mountain huckleberry) which have larger, plumper berries, the grouse whortleberry’s berries are quite small and tart. Native to the western United States and Canada, this shrub grows to about 1.5 feet tall, and is usually found in coniferous forests and alpine meadows. It has small green leaves and produces tiny pinkish-white flowers in spring, which later turn into bright red berries by late summer. While not as sought after as other huckleberry species, the berries of Vaccinium scoparium are edible and can be used in cooking.

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Vaccinium scoparium is a species of huckleberry known by the common names grouse whortleberry, grouseberry, and littleleaf huckleberry. It is native to western North America, primarily in the Rockies, Cascades, and Black Hills from British Columbia and Alberta south to far northern California to Colorado and New Mexico, and east to South Dakota. It grows in mountain habitat such as forests, meadows, and talus, occurring in subalpine and alpine climates at elevations of 700 to 3000 meters (2,333 - 10,000 feet. It is a common understory plant in many forested regions of the Rocky Mountains, being common to abundant in some areas.