Gaylussachia brachycera

Botanical Name: Gaylussachia brachycera

Common Name:
Box Huckleberry

Plant Hardiness: Zone 5

Flower: Small white to pink urn shaped blooms are clustered near the end of the stems

Bloom Time: May into June

Foliage: Dark green shiny leaves in the summer turning a bronze to deep burgundy in the winter

Fruit: Dark blue berries ripen in the mid to late summer

Habit: Low growing evergreen shrub that spreads by underground branches

Size: 6 to 8 inches high with an indefinite spread

Sun Exposure: Prefers partial shade

Native Habitat: Mid-Atlantic of United States as far west as Kentucky

Category:

Description

Description: Gaylussachia brachycera is a low growing evergreen plant. The common name is Box Huckleberry, and it does produce small black berries. Tom Dilatush sent us many clones of this plant from West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania. They vary quite a bit in the size of the leaf and the intensity of fall color. We have tried to select the ones with the most shiny leaves and best fall color as I feel these are the plant’s main attributes. The ones we are selling now have a dark green shiny leaf throughout the summer and are quite beautiful at that time. These leaves become spectacular in the fall when they turn a rich burgundy color, the color lasting throughout the winter. This plant can be used in dry areas and can take a bit of shade. It does spread and can be used as a rather extensive ground cover or as a rock garden plant in a naturalistic setting. It is such a wonderful little plant that I really do not understand why it has not been more available in the trade before – try it for I know you will like it.