Flower profile
Thinleaf huckleberry
Vaccinium membranaceum
Thinleaf huckleberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Montana
Quick look
Vaccinium membranaceum is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, known by the common names thinleaf huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, square-twig blueberry, and "black huckleberry".
- It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 12 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Montana. NatureServe
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 4.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 529 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #84 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
Thinleaf huckleberry gift ideas
Handmade thinleaf huckleberry gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry art print
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry greeting card
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry mug
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry earrings
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Thinleaf huckleberry sticker
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of Montana flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), SD (S2), UT (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records thinleaf huckleberry in 12 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Montana counties with USDA records: Carbon, Cascade, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Lincoln, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Stillwater.
More Montana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VAME.
- iNaturalist, Vaccinium membranaceum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Vaccinium membranaceum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Vaccinium membranaceum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Sean Haight via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.