Collected Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)

[Cruiser]

From a rotting Douglas-fir stump in the front yard.



Roots had permeated and wrapped themselves throughout the stump. In some places the wood was crumbling or mushy.


The shrub came out easier than expected. Yet it was a slow and delicate procedure.


Rotten wood crumbled right out of the root mass. New home is a 24” square box.


Substrate is a mix of the rotting wood, native soil, and DF bark nuggets. It was piled up underneath the shrub base, where the stump used to be. The idea is keep things organic and acidic while increasing drainage. Over time I will remove substrate to better expose the roots.

 

[pandacular]

Wow… this has real alien vibes.

 

[gooeytek]

That's already a root showcase. I love it.

 

[Dabbler]

Should call it kraken!

 

[RKatzin]

Very nice! Lots of this in my neighborhood and I've collected a few. Usually as a result of digging something else, but I've potted some and have had no luck keeping them going for more than a year or two. Any tips you can give away would be much appreciated.

 

[Cruiser]

Wow… this has real alien vibes.

I didn’t see it before, but now that you mention it..

Credit to Nathaldron on Deviant Art.

 

[Cruiser]

Very nice! Lots of this in my neighborhood and I've collected a few. Usually as a result of digging something else, but I've potted some and have had no luck keeping them going for more than a year or two. Any tips you can give away would be much appreciated.

Sensitive root systems are partly to blame. Were you able to get a lot of fine roots?
I had to follow the thick ones to their ends to find most of them. Some 3’ or more, meandering through the stump, ending in the ground below. Somewhat tasseled.

Exposure is another thing.
In a natural setting red huckleberry appears happiest in the understory. So less wind, less sun, higher moisture, organic substrates.

 

[RKatzin]

Sensitive root systems are partly to blame. Were you able to get a lot of fine roots?
I had to follow the thick ones to their ends to find most of them. Some 3’ or more, meandering through the stump, ending in the ground below. Somewhat tasseled.

Exposure is another thing.
In a natural setting red huckleberry appears happiest in the understory. So less wind, less sun, higher moisture, organic substrates.

On forty acres of forested mountain top I have these in every possible situation. True that they are happier in the understory, but I also see them exposed where it's been logged and growing in clay (that famous Oregon red) and rock, far from any water source. Big difference! Compared to the shade dwellers which are tall and loose, airy and lacey, these are shorter, more compact little bushes. They do tend to blanch about August, but usually make it through to the fall.
Most often that's where the trees I want to collect are so I've gotten a few in the process. I think I just pushed to soon to reduce the root mass for a smaller pot. They did okay in an Andersen flat, but never recovered from the reduction.