The Billingham Heald says “It’s time to head to mountains to pick huckleberries”!
Huckleberry picking in Washington is beginning!! Good news for pickers on the west side of the Rocky Mountain region.
The article goes on to explain the following:
Berries are ripe at lower elevations and ready for recreational picking and starting to ripen at higher elevations.
Huckleberries are generally found above 3,000 feet of elevation. You typically find huckleberry bushes on slopes with sunshine and plenty of water. Experts recommend looking for open areas such as older clear cuts and burned areas. Look for plants like beargrass, serviceberry, hemlock and Pacific silver fir. They are “indicator species, “plants likely to be near huckleberries.
The typical huckleberry shrub is low and erect, standing 1-5 feet tall. The leaves are short, elliptical and alternative on the stems. Berries are ripe for picking when they are plump and dark purple. The leaves turn bright red before being shed later in the fall. …
The hot weather this summer has had some effect on berries. But the plentiful rain in June and in the last couple of weeks has been beneficial.
“Picking prospects this year appear mixed. Some usually productive areas have mediocre crops this year. The rest seem about normal,” said Jon Nakae, south zone silviculturist for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
If you are interested in picking in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest or the Mount Rainier National Park area, the article has some excellent tips on where to find huckleberries!
Thank you for the heads up about, the time to pick huckleberries! its a 100 mile trip for to get to the huckleberry fields so, your article saves me a road trip to check on the berries.
Wonderful! And happy huckleberry picking!!