Idaho State Fruit

Huckleberry

(Vaccinium membranaceum)

Adopted on February 14, 2000.

"Purple gold" can be found in the mountains of Idaho during the late summer. That is the time huckleberries ripen. This small round fruit, which grows on shrubs two to six feet tall, is a delicious treat not only for humans but for bears as well. Fourth-grade students from Southside Elementary in Bonner County proposed the idea for a state fruit. The huckleberry, Vaccinium membranaceum, was adopted as Idaho's state fruit on February 14, 2000. Several huckleberry species are native to Idaho, all belonging to genus Vaccinium section Myrtillus.

This slow-growing, evergreen shrub with copper-colored new growth has delicious blue berries in late summer, enjoyed by humans and wildlife alike. Huckleberries ripen with the return of the fall chinook. Evergreen huckleberry can reach 15 feet, but it can also be kept smaller with pruning & greater sun exposure. A handsome choice for woodland gardens, berry patches, and even containers. Part sun/shade, regular water, acidic soil.

The most common and popular is the black or thin-leaved huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum). Plants grow slowly, taking up to 15 years to reach full maturity. Black huckleberries produce single plump, dark purple berries in the axils of leaves on new shoots. They depend on an insulating cover of snow for survival during winter and have not been successfully grown commercially. Black huckleberries grow at elevations between 2,000 and 11,000 feet with many productive colonies between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. Black huckleberries usually grow from 1 to 6 feet tall and produce berries up to 1/2 inch in diameter. Huckleberries are a favorite food of bears.

Idaho Statutes

Idaho Statutes TITLE 67
STATE GOVERNMENT AND STATE AFFAIRS
CHAPTER 45
67-4510. STATE FRUIT DESIGNATED. The huckleberry is hereby designated and
declared to be the state fruit of the state of Idaho.
.LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Fifty-fifth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2000IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE BILL NO. 566, As Amended in the Senate

BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO DESIGNATION OF THE STATE FRUIT; AMENDING THE HEADING FOR CHAPTER
3 45, TITLE 67, IDAHO CODE; AMENDING CHAPTER 45, TITLE 67, IDAHO CODE, BY
4 THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 67-4510, IDAHO CODE, TO DESIGNATE THE
5 HUCKLEBERRY AS THE STATE FRUIT.

6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

7 SECTION 1. That the Heading for Chapter 45, Title 67, Idaho Code, be, and
8 the same is hereby amended to read as follows:

9 CHAPTER 45
10 STATE BIRD, STATE FLOWER, STATE GEM, STATE HORSE, STATE SONG, STATE
11 TREE, STATE FOSSIL, STATE INSECT, STATE FRUIT AND STATE FISH

12 SECTION 2. That Chapter 45, Title 67, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
13 hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
14 ignated as Section 67-4510, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

15 67-4510. STATE FRUIT DESIGNATED. The huckleberry is hereby designated and
16 declared to be the state fruit of the state of Idaho.