Flower profile

Thinleaf huckleberry

Vaccinium membranaceum

Thinleaf huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Montana

Thinleaf huckleberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

12states where USDA records it

529MT sightings*

3,096U.S. sightings*

*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".
From Wikipedia's article Vaccinium membranaceum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 128 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (56 records)

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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

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.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Thinleaf huckleberry a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 5.6 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.5 to 5.6
Minimum temperature tolerated: -38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 85
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 50 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Black · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for VAME. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Vaccinium coccineum, Vaccinium globulare.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 111 counties across 10 states; the most are in Washington (23), Idaho (20), Oregon (20).

Other Vaccinium on Bloomipedia (10): Sparkleberry, Lingonberry, Lowbush blueberry, Large cranberry, Bog bilberry, Shiny blueberry, Grouse whortleberry, 'ohelo 'ai, Mayberry, ʻōhelo kau lāʻau.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More Montana flowers

Bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

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🌼 Blooms in MT: May–June

Pipsissewa

Chimaphila umbellata

Native

🌼 Blooms in MT: July–August

Woodland pinedrops

Pterospora andromedea

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in MT

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.