Bush ID

[WhitePineJunky]

Location Nova Scotia, looking to identity these 2 bushes, one I’ve always known to be “black huckleberry” but want to confirm it(last 3 photos), the second I have not a clue, the leaves turn reddish every winter, is much more short than “black huckleberry”. The black huckleberry stays green over winter and grows up to 1-1.5m tall. Any idea? 


 

 

 

 

[SwampDonkey]

sweet gale (Myrica gale), slightly toothed on fatter end of the leaf. Leaves are fragrant when crushed.


black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), western variety is a vaccinium (blueberry) which tastes like bog cranberry. You could buy them canned in British Columbia when I lived there.

[WhitePineJunky]

sweet gale (Myrica gale), slightly toothed on fatter end of the leaf. Leaves are fragrant when crushed.


black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), western variety is a vaccinium (blueberry) which tastes like bog cranberry. You could buy them canned in British Columbia when I lived there.

Thanks for the info. So to be clear they are called huckle berry? The black berries stay on all year. Deer seem to munch them sometimes as well

[SwampDonkey]

Yes, back huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata).

I've never seen many berries on them to bother picking compared to a blueberry species.

[WhitePineJunky]

Yes, back huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata).

I've never seen many berries on them to bother picking compared to a blueberry species.

I’ve heard some people say “high bush blueberry” sometimes, would this be what they are probably referring to? (Black huckleberry)
Thanks 

[SwampDonkey]

Yes, similar fruit, but different genus. The fruit will fall off soon, kind of hold on like high-bush cranberry (viburnum trilobum) do in winter. Our true blueberries are vaccinium species, like the western huckleberries and the bog cranberries.

A similar blueberry type fruit is serviceberries which flowers before pin cherries in the spring on fence rows and old grown up orchards and such. Lots of people around here say I saw the cherries in bloom this week. It's usually serviceberries. They don't set a lot of fruit despite all the flowers.

[WhitePineJunky]

Yes, similar fruit, but different genus. The fruit will fall off soon, kind of hold on like high-bush cranberry (viburnum trilobum) do in winter. Our true blueberries are vaccinium species, like the western huckleberries and the bog cranberries.

A similar blueberry type fruit is serviceberries which flowers before pin cherries in the spring on fence rows and old grown up orchards and such. Lots of people around here say I saw the cherries in bloom this week. It's usually serviceberries. They don't set a lot of fruit despite all the flowers.

What would be the best product or herbicide to rid of these bushes? I’ve tried clearing saw but they come back quickly, I have some areas completely over taken by them bushes no seedlings can come up

[SwampDonkey]

Never really looked into it. I've worked on sights with it with a clearing saw, but we don't have to cut berry bushes. I've always found lots of black spruce crop trees in it. Might try bigger seedlings and find openings and hope for the best.