box huckleberry

plant

Also known as: Gaylussacia brachycera

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The box huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera) is a rare, prostrate evergreen shrub native to the southeastern United States. It is a species within the Gaylussacia genus, which also includes other huckleberry plants found across North America and South America.12

Box huckleberry plants have shiny leaves that resemble those of the boxwood plant. While huckleberry fruits are edible and similar to blueberries, the box huckleberry is specifically noted for its ability to form extensive clones through vegetative reproduction, with some clones estimated to be thousands of years old.12

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huckleberry
Major species
Box huckleberry (G. brachycera), native to the eastern and central United States, can form huge clones, some of which are thousands of years old, by vegetative reproduction.
Read More
Box huckleberry (G. brachycera), native to the eastern and central United States, can form huge clones, some of which are thousands of years old, by vegetative reproduction.
Read More