Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale
Western blueberry, Western Blueberry
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale (Western blueberry) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by thick entire glaucous leaves, racemose inflorescence, and small fruits.
Western blueberry is a California native shrub found in northern coastal, Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Ranges, and Sierra Nevada mountains in bogs and wet meadows at elevations below 3,400 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces small blue-black fruits with pale blue-white glaucous coating. Growing with erect or prostrate stems up to 6 decimeters tall, it forms distinctive low-spreading clusters in alpine and subalpine habitats. Its deciduous leaves are thick and elliptic to ovate, measuring 1 to 2 centimeters long with a glaucous appearance and subtle leaf veining. The blue-black fruits are less than 6 millimeters in diameter, with persistent triangular calyx lobes that remain attached after flowering.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; key features are thick entire glaucous leaves, racemose inflorescence, and small fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Bogs, wet meadows
Elevation: < 3400 m
California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Butte, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Shasta, Inyo, Mono, Mariposa, Sierra, Lassen, Plumas, Nevada, Tuolumne, Madera, Tehama, Placer, Calaveras, Humboldt, Alpine, Trinity
Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana, Nevada
Bloom period
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale blooms Jun-Jul.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale native to California?
Yes. Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale bloom?
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale grow?
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale occurs in Tulare, Fresno, Butte, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Shasta, Inyo, Mono and other counties, at elevations of < 3400 m.
What plant family does Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale belong to?
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale is in the Ericaceae family, genus Vaccinium.
What habitat does Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale grow in?
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale grows in Bogs, wet meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Vaccinium cespitosum — Dwarf bilberry
- Vaccinium coccineum — Siskiyou Mountains huckleberry
- Vaccinium deliciosum — Cascade bilberry
- Vaccinium macrocarpon — Cranberry
- Vaccinium membranaceum — Thinleaf huckleberry
- Vaccinium ovatum — California huckleberry
- Xylococcus bicolor — Mission manzanita
- Xylococcus sp.
- Allotropa sp. — Sugar stick
- Allotropa virgata — Candystriped allotropa
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.