Garden Huckleberry

Garden Huckleberry is a quick-maturing annual fruit crop, grown much like a tomato or ground cherry, with bushy plants reaching 2–3 feet tall. Native to Africa, it is a solanaceous berry—not a true huckleberry of the Vaccinium or Gaylussacia shrubs. Plants tolerate drought, prefer partial shade and moderately fertile soil, and may reseed.

Pick berries only when their black skins have lost their shine and the fruit is slightly soft; earlier green-to-shiny-black berries are unripe and may be slightly toxic or upset the stomach. Ripe fruit holds well on the plant, allowing a flexible harvest. Cook and sweeten the deep purple-black berries for pies, jams, syrups, sauces, and fillings, or freeze them for winter use. Their rich color reflects anthocyanin content, and cooking with a little sweetness brings forward a berry-like flavor reminiscent of blackberry or blueberry.