PASSION A Wild

Tiny, purple, and an irresistible lure, huckleberries are North Idaho’s truest gem

by Renée Sande

By all definitions, it’s the wild child of the plant kingdom—a free spirit, refusing to be tamed—and it has us all under its spell.

Its nickname—Purple Gold—speaks to our infatuation with the small, sweet-tart, sometimes-elusive, coveted beauty called the huckleberry, named the state’s official fruit back in 2000, thanks to the work of a bunch of Sagle Elementary students.

“People love their huckleberries,” said Patrick Lair, public affairs officer for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest Service. “Our phones get busier in mid to later summer, for sure. People want to know what to look for, where to pick them.”

But if you’re looking for hints from other “huckleberry hounds” as to where to find them, expect to get a lot of very general direction, as in “the hillsides of North Idaho” or even “Texas.”

“Pickers are typically very proprietary of where they pick,” said Lair. “Some places are definitely more plentiful than others; you just have to go up high enough and know what you’re looking for.”

While it’s estimated there are about 20 different species of huckleberries in the Pacific Northwest, the Mountain Blue Huckleberry—the most prevalent in North Idaho—can be found at elevations typically between 4,000 to 8,000 feet.

Huckleberry bushes prefer part shade with dappled light but adapt to anything from full sun to complete shade. Flowering from late spring to June, the huckleberry plant has creamypink blossoms that are urn-shaped and thin, oval leaves, with a pointy tip. The leaves turn a brilliant red in fall.

Although purple is the huckleberry’s most noted hue, it actually ranges in color from orangey-red to purple to deep blue-black—depending on the type of huckleberry. The berries like acidic soil and thrive where fires have thinned overgrowth and opened the forest canopy. (Pro tip: morel mushrooms like fire-burned areas as well.)

If it’s a particularly wet spring, comfort yourself with the knowledge that all that water makes for an excellent berry crop. While the berries are ripe for picking from mid summer to fall, when that picking window opens is largely dependent on warmth. Start looking at lower elevations around the middle to end of July, and you just might spend your day picking; the higher the elevation, the later it will be before berries are ready.

And if you don’t get out in the woods frequently, check local community Facebook pages; you’ll find many people giving updates on whether the berries are ripe yet.

For many, picking huckleberries is a peaceful pastime, soaking in the quiet of the Pacific Northwest forests, eating as you pick, consuming more than you take home, and hopefully ending up with at least a quart or so to make delicious huckleberry shakes or perhaps even a pie. You can easily substitute for blueberries in any recipe you like.

There are those who would love to partake in this natural delicacy without the laborious efforts of hiking and picking. After all, the reward for picking is very well-earned.

Not only are the berries hidden underneath leaf cover, they are small, making picking a slow process. As well, there is the competition with wildlife—especially bears—who depend on them for the fatty nutrients and carbohydrates that are crucial for energy and who may have gotten to them first.

That’s why there’s a high price tag when buying from commercial pickers, who can ask $20 to $50 or more per gallon, depending on the season. And while many do buy from these pickers, be aware that commercial picking is illegal on Idaho