Huckleberries

Found in the northwestern United States and Canada, huckleberries grow wild from Wyoming to Alaska. Native Americans gathered the berries for food and medicine. As a food source, they were sun-dried or smoked, formed into cakes, and wrapped in leaves to sustain Native Americans through the winter. Huckleberries come from a shrub-like plant that grows in the underbrush of forests. More than twelve species of huckleberries are found throughout Pacific Northwest forests.

While true huckleberries are related to blueberries, it's an entirely different genus. What we commonly called huckleberry (in the West) are native blueberry species, and all the different huckleberries that we have here are genus Vaccinium which is the same genus as commercial blueberries.

Health Benefits: High in vitamin C, Huckleberries protect the body against immune deficiencies, cardiovascular diseases, prenatal health problems, and eye diseases. An excellent source of vitamin A and B, huckleberries are great for promoting a healthy metabolism which in turn helps reduce the risk of stroke.