Gaylussacia frondosa

Common Names

Dangleberry, Blue Huckleberry

Summary

Blue Huckleberry, or Dangleberry (Gaylussacia frondosa), is a native deciduous shrub of the eastern United States that forms colonies via spreading rhizomes. It typically reaches 0.75–2 m in height with spreading branches and leaves 2.5–5 cm long, green above with a glaucescent underside bearing resin dots. Drooping inflorescences bear 2–4 greenish-white flowers; fruits are blue drupes 5–8 mm in diameter that are edible. Its habitat includes moist to wet acidic shrub swamps, deciduous oak–hickory woods, and pine–hardwood forests, as well as roadsides and rights-of-way, from 0 to 300 m, and the plant is fire-tolerant, regenerating from rhizomes after low-intensity fires. For cultivation, it prefers sun to partial shade and lime-free, moist peaty soil, thriving in acidic conditions with a moisture range from dry to moist as long as drainage is good. It tolerates a range of soils from sandy to heavy (clay) and can be propagated by seed (autumn sow in a cold frame with warm stratification) or by cuttings of half-ripe wood, layering, and spring division. In gardens it provides edible fruit, supports wildlife by feeding birds and mammals, and offers native landscaping value in woodland, edge, or rain garden settings.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-6 feet

Spread

3-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

Soil Type

Lime-free, acidic, well-drained, moist to wet soil, often sandy or peaty.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils (keep evenly moist but not soggy, avoiding waterlogging)

Soil pH

3.5-5.5, Acidic soils

Bloom Color

Greenish white

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green to yellowish green.

Fall Foliage Color

Green and yellowish green, reddish-purple

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Rapid, proliferates rapidly from rhizomes when disturbed

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division, Rhizome propagation

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts birds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators