Sandpoint

Native and exotic fruits that have been studied include buffaloberries, chokeberries, chokecherries, lingonberries, saskatoons (service berries), elderberries, and viburnums. Although the potential for commercial fruit production is limited for most of these crops, all can be used effectively in edible landscapes and landscaping designed to attract wildlife. Several cultivars of saskatoons, which are grown commercially in Canada, performed well and have some commercial potential in the United States. Efforts are also underway in Oregon to develop lingonberries as a commercial crop in the Northwest.

Demonstration plantings are open to the public. New plantings are being established in the spring of 2005 and include red, yellow, black, and purple raspberries; blackberries; highbush and lowbush blueberries; currants; gooseberries; jostaberries; lingonberries; huckleberries; and bilberries. Small fruit research at Sandpoint now focuses on huckleberries, bilberries, blueberries, and edible-fruited honeysuckle. Information on this research appears below.

For information on the classification, botanical characteristics, and distribution of huckleberries, the University of Idaho provides Growing Western Huckleberries, both on-line and in printed form. If you are interested in commercial production, management, or marketing of western huckleberries and bilberries, you may want to contact the Western Huckleberry and Bilberry Association.

Western huckleberries (also called bilberries and whortleberries) belong to the genus Vaccinium, as do domestic highbush and lowbush blueberries. The huckleberries, however, are in different taxonomic sections (Myrtillus, Vaccinium, and Pyxothamnus)) than highbush and lowbush blueberries (Cyanococcus). Section Myrtillus species produce single berries in the axils of leaves on new shoots, while section Vaccinium and Pyxothamnus species produce small clusters of fruits. Highbush and lowbush blueberries develop relatively large clusters of berries on one-year-old wood, producing greater yields than do huckleberries. The section Myrtillus contains eight species. Sections Vaccinium and Pyxothamnus each contain one species.

Because of the wide and overlapping use of common names, much confusion exists as to what huckleberries and bilberries are. The names huckleberry and bilberry have been applied to many different species in at lest two taxonomic families and three genera in North America and Europe.

"Garden huckleberries" are closely related to tomatoes and nightshade. Solanum melanocerasium is most commonly called garden huckleberry, but other species are, as well. These annuals or short-lived perennials grow quickly from seed, producing abundant crops of blue berries in a few months. The flavor is often described as less than palatable and commercial prospects are poor.

Many eastern "huckleberries" are found in the genus Gaylussacia. The fruits resemble blueberries and western huckleberries, but the flavor is typically poor to fair and the fruits contain ten large, hard seeds. Although widespread in eastern North America, the fruits have not proven commercially important, with commercial emphasis being on highbush, rabbiteye, and lowbush blueberries. Like western huckleberries and domestic blueberries and cranberries, Gaylussacia huckleberries are acid-loving plants found in the heath family (Ericaceae).

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Evergreen, shot, or blackwinter huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) is native along the Pacific coast from southern California to Central British Columbia. This species is found in coniferous forests along roadsides and the edges of clearings. The bushes grow one to twelve feet tall and form dense stands. The stiff, serrated leaves make the plant commercially valuable for floral arrangements and foliage is harvested from wild stands. Evergreen huckleberry is occasionally grown on small farms along the Pacific coast. The black berries ripen late in the fall and contain very high concentrations of anthocyanins and antioxidants. Fruit yields are low. Adaptation to areas away from the coast remains to be determined.

Red huckleberry or red bilberry (V. parvifolium) is native to western Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia. Scattered populations have also been reported in interior and eastern British Columbia. This species grows from sea level to 3,500 feet elevation in and around clearings. The bushes grow from three to more than twenty feet tall. The red, waxy fruits were popular in jams and preserves with all coastal Indian tribes, although the flavor tends to be sour. Berries can hang on the branches until early winter. The fruit contains low concentrations of anthocyanins and low antioxidant capacity, although it is rich in p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Red huckleberries would probably be among the easiest of the western species to grow, but appear to be of limited commercial value, at this time. Given product development and creative marketing, however, commercially viable red huckleberry products may be possible.

Grouse whortleberry, small-leaved huckleberry, dwarf red whortleberry, or red alpine blueberry (Vaccinium scoparium) is native throughout western North America in alpine and subalpine meadows and at edges of coniferous woods from 3,000 to 11,000 feet elevation. The rhizomatous plants grow three to eighteen inches tall, forming dense, extensive colonies. The berries are tiny with fair to good flavor. Not harvested commercially due to small fruit size and soft berries.

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Dwarf huckleberry, dwarf blueberry, dwarf bilberry, or dwarf whortleberry (V. caespitosum) is native throughout North America. The plants grow three to twenty-four inches tall and bear bright blue berries with excellent flavor. This species is adaptable and is found on dry or wet acidic sites from sea level to 10,000 feet. It can form extensive colonies. Although used for food and trade by Native Americans, commercial pickers do not presently target it due to small berry size.

Bilberry, dwarf bilberry, dwarf huckleberry, or whortleberry (V. myrtillus) is native to North America, Europe, and Asia. It is found in open, moist, coniferous woods, usually above 2,000 feet elevation in North America. In Europe, this species grows to near sea level and often forms large, dominant colonies. Plants grow six to twenty-four inches tall. The berries contain antioxidants and compounds beneficial to human health and are popular in Europe for culinary and medicinal use.

Not presently harvested commercially in North America, although it is harvested commercially from the wild in Finland and other European countries. Limited attempts have been made to grow the crop in cultivation. Commercial prospects for medicinal and nutritional supplement products may be promising.

Alpine bilberry, bilberry, bog bilberry or tundra bilberry (V. uliginosum) is native to North America, Europe, and Asia from 38^o to 78^o north latitudes and from sea level to 9,000 + feet elevation. This species grows on wet or dry, acidic, organic or mineral soils and is often found at the edges of lakes and streams. The plants grow from several inches to about 36 inches tall, bearing single berries or clusters of two or three glaucous, blue berries one-fourth inch in diameter. Flavor is good, but yields are often low. Alpine bilberry is harvested from the wild for domestic and commercial use in Asia and northern Europe. Some attempts have been made in Europe to cultivate the crop. Not presently a commercially important crop in North America.

Cascade huckleberry, Cascade bilberry, or blue huckleberry (V. deliciosum) is native to California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in alpine meadows and subalpine coniferous woods at elevations from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. The plants grow six to thirty-six inches tall, although the procumbent canes can be six feet long or longer). The large, bright blue, glaucous berries have outstanding flavor and aroma due to high concentrations of esters and ketones. Yield potential may be low due to the fruit being borne only at the ends of the canes, although this problem should be manageable through occasional pruning.

Adapted to wet soils and often found at edges of ponds, Cascade huckleberry also grows on drier upland soils and can form dense heaths covering hundreds to thousands of square feet. The berries are very popular for commercial use, but the small, scattered populations limit available volumes.

Oval-leaved bilberry, oval-leaved blueberry, Alaska blueberry, or highbush blueberry (V. ovalifolium) is native across the northern United States, southern Canada, and parts of Asia and Europe from sea level to 6,500 feet elevation at the edges of forest clearings and under light to moderate canopies. The plants grow 1.5 to 12 feet tall. The berries are glaucous blue and rich in anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity. The flavor is mild to sour due to low esters and ketones, but the crop may have commercial potential for botanical extracts and nutritional supplements.

Mountain huckleberry, mountain bilberry, black huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big huckleberry, thin-leaved huckleberry, globe huckleberry, or Montana huckleberry (V. membranaceum) is native to the northwestern U.S. and western Canada, with outcroppings in Arizona and Minnesota. The plants are usually found in coniferous woods from 2,000 to 11,000 feet elevation, primarily in or around clearings. Canes grow one to nine feet tall. The bushes are rhizomatous and transplant poorly from the wild. The berries are red, blue, purple, black, or rarely white and have good to excellent flavor and aroma. Named Idaho’s state fruit in 2000. The berries are harvested from the wild for commercial processors and represent the most widely harvested western huckleberry.

In 2004, the University of Idaho received a renewal for year two of a three-year project to study the physiology and culture of western huckleberries and bilberries. Grant funds were provided by the Northwest Center for Small Fruit Research, a collaborative of growers, processors, and scientists funded through a special project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Activities under the Domestication of Western Huckleberries project include trials to determine optimum shade density and adaptability to various soil types. Also included are germplasm evaluation, breeding, and cultivar development, as well as refining tissue culture and seed propagation techniques for Vaccinium species native to the northwestern United States. Shade and soil trials are just beginning and will require several more seasons to draw conclusions. Propagation trials are underway and should be competed by the end of 2005.

Based on preliminary results, the best sites for huckleberries and bilberries appear to include acidic, moist, well-drained loams, sandy loams, and silt loams. Irrigated loamy sands can be suitable for V. membranaceum and V. uliginosum is naturally found on a range of soils from sandy clay loams to loamy sands. Soil pH is important and should lie between pH 3.5 and 5.5. Open north-facing slopes are ideal and partially shaded sites with other orientations can be acceptable. These species bloom in early spring, so avoid planting in frost pockets. In areas where temperatures drop to 0^oF or below, consistent 2-3 feet of snow cover during the winter appears beneficial or necessary. Huckleberries and bilberries are easy to grow in containers and raised beds.

Much progress has been made in developing cultivated varieties (cultivars) of huckleberries and bilberries. The program began with an on-going evaluation of plant materials from a wide area of western North America and northern Europe. During 2003, eight mountain huckleberry and four oval-leaved bilberry plants were selected for testing by cooperating nurseries and scientists in Washington and Idaho. Eighteen more mountain huckleberry, twelve oval-leaved bilberry, and one bilberry were selected for advanced testing at the University of Idaho. Selections for 2004 are not yet complete, but several more plants appear promising. The cultivar development program also includes Cascade huckleberry and alpine bilberry.

Plants are initially grown in containers from seed collected from the wild or harvested from crosses made in the breeding program. Three to five years from sowing, the plants begin bearing fruit and are evaluated for many characteristics. Plants that rank high in a range of desirable traits are propagated for expanded testing at the University of Idaho and cooperator sites. Selections that continue to perform well will eventually be named, patented by the University of Idaho Research Foundation, and released to the public through commercial nurseries. The University of Idaho does not distribute huckleberry planting materials to the public.

University of Idaho scientists Todd Taruscio, Jerry Exon, and Dan Barney recently characterized some of the bioactive compounds found in blueberries, huckleberries, and bilberries as part of a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Initiative for Future Agricultural and Food Systems. Seven Vaccinium species native to western North America were compared to highbush blueberries and half-high blueberries (hybrids between highbush and lowbush blueberries). Traits of interest included antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, flavanols, phenolic acids, and anthocyanidins.

As expected, blue-fruited species ranked higher in antioxidant capacities than the red fruited wild cranberry (V. oxycoccus) and red huckleberry (V. parvifolium). Mountain and Cascade huckleberries were similar in antioxidant capacities to half-high and highbush blueberry cultivars. Oval-leaved bilberry and evergreen huckleberry fruits had the highest levels of antioxidant capacities. The latter two species also contained the greatest concentrations of total phenolics and total anthocyanins.

Highbush and half-high blueberries had profiles dominated by phenolic acids, with lesser amounts of anthocyanidins, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols, in that order. Mountain huckleberry, Cascade huckleberry, oval-leaved bilberry, evergreen huckleberry, and alpine bilberry contained large concentrations of anthocyanidins, with lesser and varying amounts of phenolic acids, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols. Wild cranberry contained almost equal concentrations of these four groups of compounds, while phenolic acids, with small amounts of anthocyanidins and flavan-3-ols, dominated red huckleberry's profile. The article entitled Content and Profile of Flavanoid and Phenolic Acid Compounds in Conjunction with the Antioxidant Capacity for a Variety of Northwest Vaccinium Berries was published in Volume 52 of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004, pages 3169-3176. Research is now underway to determine how these fruits, as well as cranberries, affect the development of colon cancer.

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In a collaborative effort funded by the Northwest Center for Small Fruit Research, scientists at Oregon State University and the University of Idaho are studying the prospects of commercially producing edible honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea). Known as blue, sweet-berry, or blue-fly honeysuckle, this species is native to Eurasia and North America. Germplasm for this study comes from Japan and Russia where the tart fruits are popular for juices, preserves, and other culinary products. In addition to their good flavor, the dark blue fruits are rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, and antioxidant properties, and have long been recognized for their medicinal qualities in Russia. The dark red pigment in the juice is reported to be highly stable and useful for food additives.

Lead by principal investigator, Dr. Maxine Thompson of Oregon State University, researchers are evaluating wild plant materials and breeding selections in Corvallis, Oregon and Sandpoint, Idaho. Objectives are to evaluate the adaptability of this crop to Northwest growing conditions and to develop superior plants worth of cultivar status.

The crops are proving easy to grow and exceptionally cold hardy. Fruit production begins in as little as two years from sowing. The soft, rather irregularly-shaped, oblong berries grow to about one inch in length and 0.06 ounces (1.8 grams). The plants range from prostrate clumps to erect bushes as much as eight feet tall. Many selections bloom very early in spring, producing ripe fruits with or before strawberries. Although the flowers are notably tolerant of frost, slopes and other planting sites away from frost pockets are likely to be preferred.

Russian strains have proven rather poorly adapted to northwest growing conditions, but those derived from Japan and the Kurile Islands are producing very good results. The berries are widely harvested from the wild in Siberia, northern China, and Japan. Limited commercial cultivation began in Japan in the early 1970s. Russian fruit breeders began working with blue honeysuckle in the 1950s and have developed about 60 named cultivars adapted to their growing conditions.

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Research is presently underway at Sandpoint to evaluate selected sources of subalpine and corkbark fir for their value in ornamental nursery stock and Christmas tree production. These trees (Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa and Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica) are native to the Rocky Mountains. Their soft, fragrant foliage make them popular as specimen trees in the landscape and as Christmas trees. The purpose of this research is to study how trees derived from southwestern United States seed sources perform in northern Idaho and eastern Oregon. This research is funded by the Idaho Department of Agriculture Nursery and Florists Advisory Committee and the University of Idaho.

This report covers the fifth year of what is planned as a ten-year study on the growth and development of subalpine and corkbark fir from selected seed sources in the southwestern United States. Seeds were planted in styrofoam blocks in 1998 and transferred as plug-2 seedlings into a transplant bed in 2000. In the spring of 2001, the trees were transplanted to one research farm and two commercial nurseries in Bonner and Boundary County, Idaho, as well as one commercial nursery in northeastern Oregon. Each year, data on survival, time of bud-break and subsequent leader growth are recorded. The 2004 and 2005 reports are available online.

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Agroforestry involves growing trees for wood and fiber using systems that resemble farming, rather than traditional timber practices. At the Sandpoint Research & Extension Center, scientists are studying the production of hybrid poplar, black cherries, oaks, and other hardwoods for their commercial potential in northern Idaho.

Hybrid poplars were developed by crossing several species of North American cottonwoods (Populus spp.). The poplars grow very rapidly. In trials at Sandpoint, some trees grew from unrooted cuttings stuck in the ground to as tall as 94 feet in ten growing seasons. Results for the eight clones in the study appear in the table below.

Hybrid poplars are used primarily to produce particle board and paper. Their fast growth and adaptability to poorly-drained farmland provide the potential to supplement traditional conifer species for pulp and fiber. Other advantages are that poplars can be mechanically harvested and quickly reduced to chips on site, reducing labor and transportation costs. Some lumber companies are now investigating the potential of hybrid poplar for dimensional lumber.

Although several companies have established large plantings of hybrid polar in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, the market for the trees is still very limited and may remain so for some time. Investigate your local market thoroughly before planting large blocks of hybrid poplar

Scientists at the University of Idaho are presently evaluating the performance of numerous hardwood tree species for their potential in providing wood and wildlife habitat. Ongoing studies include oaks, hickories, chestnuts, walnuts, hazels, ash, black cherry, and red alder. These trees produce dense, high-quality woods suited to furniture, cabinetry, tool handles, gun stocks, and other applications that demand hardwoods. An added advantage with some hardwood species, such as oaks, black cherries, and walnuts, is that they provide food for wildlife.

The potential market value per tree of these hardwoods is greater than that of the conifers that make up north Idaho’s traditional timber industry. Management costs for some of the hardwoods, however, may also be higher than for conifers. Species that are now being studied in field trials at Sandpoint include:

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Wheat, oats, barley, and other small grains have long been subjects of study at Sandpoint. Today, we conduct most of our research on these crops near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, about 40 miles north of the station. In joint trials with commercial grain farmers, breeders and agronomists are working to develop improved varieties and cultural practices. Of particular concern to breeders is the ability to develop varieties highly resistant to pests and diseases, but which retain high yields and acceptable processing and culinary characteristics.

For more information on cereal grains in Idaho, please go to the University of Idaho Extension Cereals website.