Without it the understorey of most of our forests would seem nearly barren. Bogs would have little or no shrub cover. Mountain heathers paint our mountain meadows. Among these plants, evergreen huckleberry is one of the most delightful, with delicate pink blooms followed by delicious juicy fruit, and providing evergreen cover in mild coastal forests. Branches bear regularly arranged leathery leaves lined with sharp teeth.
Upper surfaces are dark green and shiny whereas the lower surface is much paler.
Hundreds of small flowers cling in clusters along the slightly hairy stems. Each pinkish flower consists of 5 petals fused into a narrow bell. Stamens and most of the pistil hide just inside the mouth of the bloom. Flowers open as early as April in warm southern zones but as late as July northward. The globe-shaped berry is less than a centimetre across.