The box huckleberry is a living relic. This diminutive shrub is rarely seen in the nursery trade and I was pleased to find some recently on an excursion to Nasami Farm in Whately. The farm is operated by the New England Wildflower Society and it’s a great place to look for unusual species, commonly overlooked by commercial growers and gardeners alike. Box huckleberry is a compact and slow growing groundcover, and I have found it to be quite adaptable in tough conditions.
A member of the heath family, the plant bears a resemblance to its cousins the blueberries. The “evergreen” foliage shines with burgundy and copper in the winter and the spring flowers are waxy white urns which develop into edible berries favored by humans and wildlife alike. The plant is found growing wild in only 100 or so locations, mostly in the Appalachian mountains. In some areas, colonies have persisted for thousands of years, advancing inch after inch to blanket acres of land.
It is likely that box huckleberry once enjoyed a broader distribution in the landscape and its remnant populations are a relic of the last ice age. If you are lucky enough to get one of these plants, find an acidic spot with good drainage and be patient
Relic plants have always held a special fascination for me. They are like refugees from our evolutionary past. A species too stubborn for extinction and destined to survive.
