Vaccinium membranaceum
Thinleaf huckleberry
(c) Kieran Hanrahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Vaccinium membranaceum (Thinleaf huckleberry) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by tall erect habit, membranous leaves with prominent veins, and dark fruits.
Thinleaf huckleberry is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and Warner Mountains in wet meadows and mountain slopes at elevations of 1,100 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces pink, cylindric to urn-shaped flowers less than 6 millimeters long. Growing 5 to 15 decimeters tall with erect stems that are weakly angled and yellow-green, it forms an upright shrub with an occasional rhizome. Its deciduous leaves are thin and membranous, generally ovate to elliptic, 2 to 5 centimeters long with serrated edges that feature gland-tipped hairs and prominent veins underneath. The fruit is a black (occasionally dark red) berry approximately 9 to 11 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; key features are tall erect habit, membranous leaves with prominent veins, and dark fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, mountain slopes
Elevation: 1100-2200 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Plumas, Sierra, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Tulare, Butte, Shasta, Del Norte, Yuba, Mariposa, El Dorado
Outside California: to Alaska, South Dakota
Bloom period
Vaccinium membranaceum blooms Jun-Jul.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vaccinium membranaceum native to California?
Yes. Vaccinium membranaceum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Vaccinium membranaceum bloom?
Vaccinium membranaceum blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Vaccinium membranaceum grow?
Vaccinium membranaceum occurs in Siskiyou, Plumas, Sierra, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Tulare, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 1100-2200 m.
What plant family does Vaccinium membranaceum belong to?
Vaccinium membranaceum is in the Ericaceae family, genus Vaccinium.
What habitat does Vaccinium membranaceum grow in?
Vaccinium membranaceum grows in Wet meadows, mountain slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.